Analysis and operational challenges of dynamic ride sharing demand responsive transportation models

There is a wide body of evidence that suggests sustainable mobility is not only a technological question, but that automotive technology will be a part of the solution in becoming a necessary albeit insufficient condition. Sufficiency is emerging as a paradigm shift from car ownership to vehicle usage, which is a consequence of socio-economic changes. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) now make it possible for a user to access a mobility service to go anywhere at any time. Among the many emerging mobility services, Multiple Passenger Ridesharing and its variants look the most promising. However, challenges arise in implementing these systems while accounting specifically for time dependencies and time windows that reflect users’ needs, specifically in terms of real-time fleet dispatching and dynamic route calculation. On the other hand, we must consider the feasibility and impact analysis of the many factors influencing the behavior of the system – as, for example, service demand, the size of the service fleet, the capacity of the shared vehicles and whether the time window requirements are soft or tight. This paper analyzes - a Decision Support System that computes solutions with ad hoc heuristics applied to variants of Pick Up and Delivery Problems with Time Windows, as well as to Feasibility and Profitability criteria rooted in Dynamic Insertion Heuristics. To evaluate the applications, a Simulation Framework is proposed. It is based on a microscopic simulation model that emulates real-time traffic conditions and a real traffic information system. It also interacts with the Decision Support System by feeding it with the required data for making decisions in the simulation that emulate the behavior of the shared fleet. The proposed simulation framework has been implemented in a model of Barcelona’s Central Business District. The obtained results prove the potential feasibility of the mobility concept.Postprint (published version

New Zealand's Quota Management System: A History of the First 20 Years

New Zealand is a world leader in the use of Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) to manage fisheries. Although the use of an ITQ system is not unique to New Zealand, no other country has used this system to the same extent as New Zealand. This has meant that, internationally, a lot of interest has been placed on how our system works and the level of success it has achieved. Generally, the New Zealand system is considered to be a success story, yet the system has changed a number of times since its inception in 1986. Despite the level of interest in New Zealand's unique ITQ system, the current literature is unable to provide a complete account of the historic and current regulations surrounding it. This paper addresses this gap by documenting how the Quota Management System (QMS) functions and the changes it has undergone since its introduction. Reviewing these changes facilitates a deeper understanding of the system itself, as well as providing insight into its potential limitations.Quota management system; individual transferable quota; fisheries; management; New Zealand

Nutrient Trading in Lake Rotorua: Cost Sharing and Allowance Allocation.

This paper clarifies how the benefits and costs of water quality improvements in Lake Rotorua are likely to be shared in the absence of a trading system; presents different perspectives on and principles for deciding how costs should be allocated; and then shows how different options for initially allocating nutrient allowances and achieving reductions in the cap over time conform with those cost-sharing principles. There is no ‘correct’ answer to the question of who should pay. The ‘best’ answer for Lake Rotorua will depend on what the community thinks is fair and what will be politically feasible. If the trading market does not operate efficiently, the way that allowances are allocated will affect the efficiency with which the catchment achieves its environmental goal. If the allocation of allowances provides significant capital it could also affect economic behaviour by loosening capital constraints that limit land development and mitigation.Nutrient trading, water quality, allowance allocation

Achieving Social and Ecological Outcomes in Collaborative Environmental Governance: Good Examples from Swedish Moose Management

Collaborative governance approaches have been suggested as strategies to handle wicked environmental problems. Evaluations have found promising examples of effective natural resource governance, but also highlighted the importance of social-ecological context and institutional design. The aim of this study was to identify factors that contribute to the achievement of social and ecological sustainability within Swedish moose (Alces alces) management. In 2012, a multi-level collaborative governance regime was implemented to decrease conflicts among stakeholders. We carried out semi-structured interviews with six 'good examples' (i.e., Moose Management Groups that showed positive social and ecological outcomes). We found that 'good examples' collectively identified existing knowledge gaps and management challenges and used their discretionary power to develop procedural arrangements that are adapted to the social-ecological context, their theory of change, and attributes of local actors. This contributed to the creation of bridging social capital and principled engagement across governance levels. Thus, our results indicate the existence of higher-order social learning as well as a positive feedback from within-level collaboration dynamics to between-level collaboration. Furthermore, our study illustrates the importance of institutional flexibility to utilize the existing knowledge across stakeholder groups and to allow for adaptations based on the social learning process

National Evaluation of the Capacity Building Programme in English Local Government: Annex 1. Seven Case Studies: The Pilot Programme

This report presents the findings of the evaluation of the Capacity Building pilots. The evaluation of the pilots is part of the on-going evaluation of the Capacity Building Programme and has been undertaken in the early scoping phase of the main evaluation in order to capture key learning points and insights into the programme. It is intended that the ongoing evaluation of the Capacity Building Programme will be formative and assist in the development of the programme over time. In what follows the background to the pilots programme is discussed, highlighting the kinds of capacity building activities the pilots are engaged with and the link between the Capacity Building Programme and the CPA. The report outlines the structure and purpose of the pilots programme and the nature and characteristics of the different pilots that were undertaken. The seven case studies are then discussed in more detail in the main body of 1 Introduction | 5 the report. These are drawn together in key themes and findings which can be used to strengthen future project development

Fishing capacity management

Excess fishing capacity has been identified as one of the most pernicious problems affecting long-term sustainability and biodiversity of fishery resources and economic viability of fishing operations. Significant economic gains could be achieved by eliminating excess capacity, in addition to attaining objectives of resource sustainability. In this paper, approaches to fishing capacity management are reviewed in the context of Indian fisheries. A rights based regulated access system under a co-management regime based on a strong inclusive cooperative movement of stakeholders with built-in transferable quota system and buy-back or rotational right of entry schemes seems to hold potential for capacity management in the shelf fisheries of Indian states, which need to be implemented in collaboration with the Union Government and the neighboring states with confluent ecosystems and shared fishing grounds. A key advantage of the use of rights based approaches for managing fishing capacity is that they provide a mechanism through which stakeholders can more easily and actively participate in the management process

The competitive repositioning of automotive firms in Turin: innovation, internationalisation and the role of ICT

Following the increasing competitive pressure and the emergence of new industrial poles within the auto industry, Italian firms have been the protagonists of an intense reorganisation, which is still ongoing. This case-study involves 13 supplier firms, operating in the automotive industry, localised in Turin, that have adopted a series of strategies aimed at improving their international competitiveness. The empirical findings show that there is a particularly strong innovative drive for the interviewed firms to position themselves in activities with greater added value and to undertake internationalisation strategies, from the 'lighter' to the more 'complex' forms, coupled with a use of information and communication technologies epresents a case of excellence.Innovation, Internationalisation, ICT, Automotive Industry