This dissertation conducts comprehensive analyses on global seaport institutions and port infrastructure productivity.It also examines the determinants of port output and the roles port institutions play in driving port infrastructure productivity.Specifically the dissertation analyzes the roles of macro-, meso-, and micro-levels of institutional features of ports (inter-port competition, corporate structure, and port asset ownership practice).They are evaluated to understand why ports have become productive over the last decade and how those factors yield better opportunities for ports to prosper.While influences from external environments are still one of the important factors in shaping port efficiency, the roles of institutions play an increasingly important role, especially in the management of ports over the medium-long term.Furthermore, port efficiency has been shaped not only by macro-level market institutions (i.e.inter-port competition) but also by the capacity of port authorities to implement innovative institutional practices for port ownership and capital asset management.

The Kaye Bock Award is given to the author (or authors) of the best paper, as determined by the editors, in each issue of the Berkeley Planning Journal that was written by a student (or a team of students). The award is named in loving memory of Kaye Bock to honor her unbounded concern for and commitment to graduate students. This award is also intended to be an eternal expression of gratitude from the Berkeley Planning Journal to Kaye for her critical and caring support during our first two decades of publication. The Kaye Bock Award is accompanied by a $250 cash gift.