Understanding temporal rhythms and travel behaviour at destinations: Potential ways to achieve more sustainable travel

This paper analyses the roles played by time in destination-based travel behaviour. It contrasts clock time's linear view of time with fragmented time, instantaneous time, fluid time and flow, time out and the multiple temporalities of tourism experiences. It explores temporal issues in a destination travel context, using qualitative techniques. Data were captured using diary photography, diary-interview method with tourists at a rural destination; their spatial and temporal patterns were captured using a purpose built smartphone app. The analysis revealed three temporal themes influencing travel behaviour: time fluidity; daily and place-related rhythms; and control of time. Three key messages emerge for future sustainable tourist destination-based travel systems. Given the strong desire for temporal fluidity, transport systems should evolve beyond clock-time regimes. Second, temporal forces favour personal modes of transport (car, walk, cycle), especially in rural areas where public transport cannot offer flexibility. Third, the car is personalised and perceived to optimise travel fluidity and speed, but is currently unsustainable. Imaginative initiatives, using new mobile media technology can offer new positive and proactive car travel, utilising spare public and private vehicle capacity. Research is needed to implement mechanisms for individualised space-time scheduling and collective vehicle use strategies. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

A Data Oriented Approach for Real-Time Systems

International audienceDistributed real-time systems often have to maintain the temporal validity of data. In this paper we present a modelling framework centered on data where a so-called observation relation represents and abstracts the interactions between variables. An observation is a relation between variables, an image and its sources, where the image values depend on past values of the sources. The system architecture is seen as a set of observation relations describing the flow of values between variables. The observation relations are parametrized with timed constraints that limit the time shift between the variables and specify the availability of timely sound values. At this level of abstraction, the designer gives a specification of the system based on timed properties about the timeline of data such as their freshness, latency etc. We proceed to an analysis of the feasibility of such a specification and we formally analyze the correctness of an implementation with respect to a specification. In order to prove the feasibility of an observationbased model, we build a finite state transition system which is bi-similar to the specification. The existence of an infinite execution in this system proves the feasibility of the specification. Possible implementations are described as a set of interacting components which control the flow of values in the system. A finite system is built to prove the correctness of the implementation by model checkin