290037 VO Geography of Transport Systems: State and Market - Focus on Transport (2013S)

To deal with complex research questions concerning traffic, transport and mobility is not only the reserve of the economic and technical sciences. Thanks to their interdisciplinary orientation the social sciences are well placed to examine structure and function of interdependence, activity and behavior of stakeholders from a spatial viewpoint.
Transport Geography is an interdisciplinary science with close links to other fields, inside and outside geography. Within economic geography there persists a close connection to business economics, logistics, transport planning, regional research and planning as well as to demography, sociology and applied geography.
For any lecture on transport geography there are many possible topics. We will start by defining the object of research, explaining relevant basic terms as well as identifying many task areas.
Specific attention is given to the different perceptions of transport activities and development according to region and customer groups. Beside the study of spatial and socioeconomic basics we will deal with transport structures and the requirements of the market in passenger and freight transport.
In this context the pros and cons of rail and road transport modes, as well as the specific conditions for access and restrictions, marketing concepts and the legal framework will be focused in the analyses.
Separate chapters are devoted to the development and the volume distribution of competing traffic modes (modal split).
Finally we will pose the question of how several different traffic systems operate, which theories are pursued and which approaches are applied when solving traffic problems.
A calculated estimate of future traffic demand (traffic forecasting) and hence the resulting freight- and passenger traffic flows are the basis for regionally meaningful planning as well as the borrowing requirement of infrastructure.
Within the transport policy the state pursues the objective of planning and realizing infrastructure assets with foresight and demand-orientation whilst minimizing costs.
The objectives of the lecture are to come to an understanding of the influence of important stakeholders on several traffic structures and processes, to identify cost drivers, to distinguish present-day problems and to demonstrate future trends in theory and experience.