An interactive sonic environment derived from commuters' memories of the soundscape: a case study of the London Underground

Through interrelating the Acoustic Communication concepts of soundscape with contemporary collective memory studies, this research project explores the relationship between commuters and the London Underground (LU) soundscape in order to create an interactive sonic environment on the Internet. The methodology combines fieldwork and artistic work, focusing on commuters’ perceptions of time and space, and on their sonic memories, as elements through which to interpret the space. The objective of the fieldwork is to investigate commuters’ aural memories of the LU soundscape, including the feelings and sensations that it stimulates. The artistic objective is to facilitate the interaction between the soundscape and its users through an interface that allows a creative combination of sounds to assemble aural memories into a sound-driven multimedia experience. Twenty-four commuters participated in the ethnographic study during the three phases of the research; they followed the researcher’s model, which combines the processes of listening and remembering. The researcher thus developed an interactive sonic environment where commuters can experience a non-linear virtual journey through the soundscape of LU, then apply this as a means of reflecting on the original commuting experience. The interactive nature of the process makes it possible for individual memories to be linked in a creative shared experience; it fosters the development of on-line sound-driven narratives.http://soundingunderground.or

Quality of rail passenger experience: the direct and spillover effects of crowding on individual well-being and organisational behaviour

The challenge of rail passenger crowding has not been fully addressed in the scientific literature. This thesis describes a research work aimed at (1) investigating the relationships among the different psychological components of crowding and their effects on commuters’ experience of stress and feelings of exhaustion, and (2) exploring how the effects of rail passenger crowding can spill over to the individual’s broader work and life. To achieve these aims, an operational model is built that is consistent with the framework of Cox et al.’s (2006) model of crowding, stress, health, and safety, and is tested in a two-phase study. While Phase One of the research qualitatively explored the perceptions of rail passenger crowding and other associated issues among key stakeholder institutions (N = 5), Phase Two quantitatively examined the effects of rail passenger crowding on commuters’ individual well-being and their organisational behaviours (N = 525). The results of Phase One demonstrate that passenger crowding is perceived only as a minor problem compared to capacity, infrastructure, and service quality issues among the key stakeholders. On the other hand, the results of Phase Two reveal that crowding is indeed stressful for the commuters and has the potential to spill over to other aspects of their life and work. Using structural equation modelling techniques, the results show first the relationships among passengers’ evaluation of the psychosocial aspects of the crowded situation and of its ambient environment as well as their affective reactions to it, and the relationships among these psychological components of crowding and passenger density. Second, they demonstrate that the different psychological components of crowding together with rated passenger density are combinatorially predictive of commuters’ stress and feelings of exhaustion. Third, while the effects of crowding on feelings of exhaustion disappeared after controlling for demographic factors and individual differences in commuting experience, its effects on the experience of stress remained significant, further highlighting the negative consequences of rail passenger crowding. Fourth, the results reveal different patterns of spillover effects for passenger stress, particularly on commuters’ reports of somatic symptoms of ill health, their propensity for lateness and absenteeism at work, and intention to quit, but not in terms of their job or life satisfaction. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the existing literature and the operational framework set out at the beginning of the research work, which could lend support for future crowding research and management

Quality of rail passenger experience: the direct and spillover effects of crowding on individual well-being and organisational behaviour

The challenge of rail passenger crowding has not been fully addressed in the scientific literature. This thesis describes a research work aimed at (1) investigating the relationships among the different psychological components of crowding and their effects on commuters’ experience of stress and feelings of exhaustion, and (2) exploring how the effects of rail passenger crowding can spill over to the individual’s broader work and life. To achieve these aims, an operational model is built that is consistent with the framework of Cox et al.’s (2006) model of crowding, stress, health, and safety, and is tested in a two-phase study. While Phase One of the research qualitatively explored the perceptions of rail passenger crowding and other associated issues among key stakeholder institutions (N = 5), Phase Two quantitatively examined the effects of rail passenger crowding on commuters’ individual well-being and their organisational behaviours (N = 525). The results of Phase One demonstrate that passenger crowding is perceived only as a minor problem compared to capacity, infrastructure, and service quality issues among the key stakeholders. On the other hand, the results of Phase Two reveal that crowding is indeed stressful for the commuters and has the potential to spill over to other aspects of their life and work. Using structural equation modelling techniques, the results show first the relationships among passengers’ evaluation of the psychosocial aspects of the crowded situation and of its ambient environment as well as their affective reactions to it, and the relationships among these psychological components of crowding and passenger density. Second, they demonstrate that the different psychological components of crowding together with rated passenger density are combinatorially predictive of commuters’ stress and feelings of exhaustion. Third, while the effects of crowding on feelings of exhaustion disappeared after controlling for demographic factors and individual differences in commuting experience, its effects on the experience of stress remained significant, further highlighting the negative consequences of rail passenger crowding. Fourth, the results reveal different patterns of spillover effects for passenger stress, particularly on commuters’ reports of somatic symptoms of ill health, their propensity for lateness and absenteeism at work, and intention to quit, but not in terms of their job or life satisfaction. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the existing literature and the operational framework set out at the beginning of the research work, which could lend support for future crowding research and management

Sustainable Mobility and Transport

This Special Issue is dedicated to sustainable mobility and transport, with a special focus on technological advancements. Global transport systems are significant sources of air, land, and water emissions. A key motivator for this Special Issue was the diversity and complexity of mitigating transport emissions and industry adaptions towards increasingly stricter regulation. Originally, the Special Issue called for papers devoted to all forms of mobility and transports. The papers published in this Special Issue cover a wide range of topics, aiming to increase understanding of the impacts and effects of mobility and transport in working towards sustainability, where most studies place technological innovations at the heart of the matter. The goal of the Special Issue is to present research that focuses, on the one hand, on the challenges and obstacles on a system-level decision making of clean mobility, and on the other, on indirect effects caused by these changes

A History of Materials and Technologies Development

The purpose of the book is to provide the students with the text that presents an introductory knowledge about the development of materials and technologies and includes the most commonly available information on human development. The idea of the publication has been generated referring to the materials taken from the organic and non-organic evolution of nature. The suggested texts might be found a purposeful tool for the University students proceeding with studying engineering due to the fact that all subjects in this particular field more or less have to cover the history and development of the studied object. It is expected that studying different materials and technologies will help the students with a better understanding of driving forces, positive and negative consequences of technological development, etc

Improving the aesthetic and other experiential design aspects of bicycle paths in Western Australia

Governments around Australia are in the process of promoting cycling as both a sustainable form of transport that can be a viable alternative to the motor vehicle, particularly for shorter trips, and as a healthy recreational pursuit that can play an important role in addressing the growing problem of obesity and illnesses associated with a sedentary lifestyle in the community. As part of this initiative, the development of effective and efficient infrastructure for bicycles is seen as a vital step for achieving higher participation rates. A major component of the nation’s bicycle infrastructure is the growing networks of paved paths and natural surface trails located in both urban and regional areas. A well-designed path or trail must meet agreed standards related to safety and function and, in order to achieve maximum usage, it must also create a desirable riding experience. While requirements for safety and function are well understood by path and trail planners, little empirical information has been produced to enable these planning professionals to understand the elements that impact upon an individual’s riding experience and to then incorporate them into the design process. Accordingly, the overall aim of this research was to investigate how the aesthetic, cultural and other experiential design aspects of bicycle paths and trails can enhance the perceived riding experience. A secondary objective of the project involved a determination of the procedural factors guiding the local path and trail design protocols and process. A third objective was to gain an insight into the most effective method of communicating the benefits of these riding environments to important target groups. Following the establishment of a theoretical framework incorporating the psychophysical nature of cycling, the effect of landscape and current design practices, the research progressed through several stages beginning with an autoethnography examining the researcher’s extensive experience in the promotion of cycling in Western Australia, augmented by in-depth discussions with leading key informants. This was followed by a mix of quantitative and qualitative methodology to gauge perception of various elements of in-situ and photo-surrogate path-riding environments among the general population in Perth, Western Australia. The findings indicate that there are specific experiential design aspects related to the riding environment, surrounding landscape or associated features that can directly influence a person’s decision to use a particular path, trail or route. The research also identified preferred communication strategies and found deficiencies in the current design process that if addressed, could lead to the development of better received and patronised riding environments. It is intended that the outcome of this research will be to provide a design framework to guide path and trail planners in the development of facilities that enhance the overall riding experience. A number of agencies responsible for developing bicycle infrastructure, or design standards, have indicated a desire to access parts of this research project for use in the decision-making process, thus achieving a better balance between safety, functional and experiential aspects