Disaggregate Inter-Urban Mode Choice Models: A review of British Evidence with special Reference to Cross Elasticities.

The research reported in this paper forms part of EPSRC project GRK52522 entitled 'National Multi-Modal Travel Forecasts'. The principal aim of this project is to develop a set of national and regional travel demand forecasts by land-based modes. These demand models for car, bus and rail will be based on a hierarchy of techniques and hence there are several strands to this research. One aspect of the research involves the review of aggregate models, based on collective travel behaviour, and the evidence that they yield on own and cross elasticities. Whilst such models provide a wealth of information on own elasticities, and are particularly well suited to the analysis of the effects of exogenous factors on travel demand, they tend to make little allowance for competitive effects and hence provide little evidence regarding cross-elasticities. Furthermore, their nature is such that there can be only limited segmentation of the elasticities by relevant travel and socio-economic factors. Another aspect of the study is reviewing the evidence that is provided by disaggregate models where, in contrast to the aggregate models, the unit of observation is the individual decision maker. Since such models examine competition between modes, they are particularly useful in providing evidence on cross-elasticities. A further aspect of the work will be the actual estimation of relevant demand models and elasticities for a range of circumstances and by a variety of means. The final stage prior to application of the models is to draw all the evidence together in a consistent manner, drawing upon the strengths of different approaches and the various insights that they provide

FROM GLOBAL COMPETITION TO REGIONAL GOVERNANCE; NEW PARADIGMS FOR REGIONAL POLICY IN THE 1990S

The purpose of this paper is to present some elements of one or more paradigms for assessing a region's economic growth prospects and related infrastructure requirements. These concerns are central to a regional policy that offers guidance for individual decision makers of local governments and their resident populations. A paradigm for regional policy is a model of regional structure and activity that provides a basis for understanding and foresight about regional growth and change. It is a framework for well-targeted infrastructure investments, vigorous and sustained capacity-building, and continuing efforts in intra-regional cooperation. Critical infrastructure for globally-competitive business enterprise includes air transportation and the accompanying distribution system that brings together all transportation modes to provide access to regional and global markets. Capacity-building refers to the successful application and integration of the means of control and foresight - good management coupled with realistic anticipation about the future - in both private and public management. Intra-regional cooperation starts with the public agencies engaged in infrastructure planning. We focus on implications of a new paradigm for regional policy on investment in growth-influencing resources and facilities, and their location. We relate these decision variables to the recurring themes that apply to any region with high hopes of sustainability.Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Sourcing Strategies in Information Systems Development

Abstract After 20 years of accomplishment Barney discusses in the recent issue of the Journal of Management (JOM, September 2011, 37(4)) the decline or the revitalization of the resource based view (RBV). This thesis gives support for its relevance in the field of sourcing IS- development. Looking into the discipline of IS-sourcing, at first glance it might be seen as a natural part as any other of an organization. However, taking a closer inspection on sourcing in the financial sector we have found that the resources used in IS-development are an important factor for sustained competitive advantage depending on the application of different sourcing modes. Investigating several case organizations from the financial sector we have on the basis of the resource based view analyzed selected IS-sourcing projects and the motive for sourcing as well as if appropriate sourcing strategies are applied. With the starting point from Roy and Aubert’s (2000) research and implications on their treatment of IS-sourcing modes, we challenge their study in a way that we are convinced that it needs to be combined with the VRIO framework. Our empirical results confirm that the VRIO framework sheds insight on the diffusion of finding the applied sourcing mode. While analyzing the empirical findings and using the well- grounded theories with the stake from the resource based view, we have theoretically derived the appropriate IS-sourcing mode for each investigated case. The empirical findings revealed that the IS-sourcing model is implicitly applied in practice. However, the extrapolation from the application of the theoretically derived sourcing mode to the success of the sourcing project needs further evidence. Our discussion of IS-sourcing in the financial sector addresses in fact the importance of seeing IS-sourcing as a resource that includes capabilities of high or low strategic value, for gaining sustained competitive advantage. Metaphorically sourcing of IS-development can be seen as a bag that holds resources which form the competitive advantage. Although IS- sourcing strategies from the RBV perspective may seem of concern to only a small group of interest, it should in fact concern any financial organization that cares about keeping competitive on the market. Regarding the empirical findings, this discovery has relevant applications in Roy and Aubert’s (2000) research and contribute to the resource based view

Potential to attract drivers out of their cars in dense urban areas.

Purpose Sustainable mobility urban policies intend reducing car use and increasing walking, cycling and public transport. However, this transfer from private car to these more sustainable modes is only a real alternative where distances are small and the public transport supply competitive enough. This paper proposes a methodology to calculate the number of trips that can be transferred from private car to other modes in city centres. Method The method starts analyzing which kind of trips cannot change its mode (purposes, conditions, safety , etc.), and then setting a process to determine under which conditions trips made by car between given O-D pairs can be transferable. Then, the application of demand models allow to determine which trips fulfil the transferability conditions. The process test the possibility of transfer in a sequential way: firs to walking, then cycling and finally to public transport. Results The methodology is tested through its application to the city of Madrid (Spain), with the result of only some 18% of the trips currently made by car could be made by other modes, under the same conditions of trip time, and without affecting their characteristics. Out of these trips, 75% could be made by public transport, 15% cycling and 10% on foot. The possible mode to be transferred depends on the location: city centre areas are more favourable for walking and cycling while city skirts could attract more PT trips. Conclusions The proposed method has demonstrated its validity to determine the potential of transferring trips out of cars to more sustainable modes. Al the same time it is clear that, even in areas with favourable conditions for walking, cycling and PT trips, the potential of transfer is limited because cars fulfil more properly special requirements of some trips and tours

Infrastructure transitions toward sustainability: a complex adaptive systems perspective

To ensure infrastructure assets are procured and maintained by government on behalf of citizens, appropriate policy and institutional architecture is needed, particularly if a fundamental shift to more sustainable infrastructure is the goal. The shift in recent years from competitive and resource-intensive procurement to more collaborative and sustainable approaches to infrastructure governance is considered a major transition in infrastructure procurement systems. In order to better understand this transition in infrastructure procurement arrangements, the concept of emergence from Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory is offered as a key construct. Emergence holds that micro interactions can result in emergent macro order. Applying the concept of emergence to infrastructure procurement, this research examines how interaction of agents in individual projects can result in different industry structural characteristics. The paper concludes that CAS theory, and particularly the concept of ‘emergence’, provides a useful construct to understand infrastructure procurement dynamics and progress towards sustainability

A Review of Rail Research Relevant to the Case for Increased Rail Investment.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of rail transport research which has a bearing on the case of increased rail investment. The paper focuses on research which has been conducted on the demand for rail travel, both passenger and freight, rather than the supply side or new technology. The aim is to identify where we believe there to be significant gaps in knowledge and key areas in which further research is required are outlined. The paper deals with the following issues: the investment and funding mechanisms that currently exist for rail; the extent to which changes in the fare and service quality of rail affect the demand for rail travel and also the demand for air and road travel; the environmental and congestion benefits of diverting traffic from road and air to rail; and the links between rail investment and economic development. Where appropriate, the discussion considers inter-urban travel, suburban travel, light rail transit and freight transport separately

Internal report cluster 1: Urban freight innovations and solutions for sustainable deliveries (3/4)

Technical report about sustainable urban freight solutions, part 3 of

New modes of political participation and Singapore's nominated members of parliament

Despite growing recognition that authoritarianism can be far more durable than transition theorists previously expected, transition theory assumptions continue to constrain attempts to understand authoritarian regimes. In particular, alternative avenues of political participation to opposition political parties and electoral contests are under examined. Singapore's authoritarian regime involves a range of such innovative institutional and ideological initiatives, one of the most significant being the Nominated Members of Parliament scheme. This promotes notions of representation different from democratic parliamentary representation that are not without appeal to targeted, emerging social forces. Singapore's political economy dynamics contribute to this responsiveness by obstructing independent power bases