Infinite improbabilities

Die Arbeit untersucht das Zusammenspiel von Science Fiction und Parodie im Werk von Douglas Adams, um zu beweisen, dass verschiedene parodistische Mechanismen in den Romanen operieren, die jeweils verschiedene Zielgruppen ansprechen können. Dies geschieht zunächst durch theoretische Bemerkungen zu Parodie und Science Fiction, welche dann auf die Primärtexte angewendet werden. Dabei lassen sich zwei Hauptformen der Parodie in Adams' Werk gesondert erwähnen, nämlich die genre parody (Genreparodie) und die discourse parody (Diskursparodie). Adams' Romane sind einerseits klar Parodien des Science Fiction- Genres, andererseits wird an zahlreichen Stellen in den Romanen auch Parodie mit Science Fiction verknüpft, um einen stärkeren humoristisch-kritischen Effekt zu erzeugen.This paper analyses the interaction of science fiction and parody in the work of Douglas Adams in order to proof that various parodic mechanisms operate within the narrative that have as their targets different groups of readers. This is done firstly via a discussion of SF and parody in theory and then applying this theory to the primary texts. In doing this, two main forms of parody can be observed in Adams' writing, namely genre parody and discourse parody. Adams' novels are clearly parodies of the science fiction genre. However, there are numerous instances in the novels in which the parody is combined with science fiction in order to strengthen its humorous and critical effects

Assessing smart locations – the MORECO project

A main criterion of intelligent and smart locations is the fact that they support a resource-saving way of life of the residents. Beside other aspects, the mobility of the residents is a very big part of this lifestyle. In big agglomerations the level of motorization is already decreasing, but in rural regions there is often a lack of public transport options which can be used from the inhabitants instead of their own car. The European co-funded Alpine Space project “MORECO Mobility and residential costs” aims to improve sustainable mobility and to foster better accessibilities by supporting an optimized polycentric settlement development. The mainly addressed target groups are private households, planners, and mobility actors as well as politicians and decision makers. To fit all different needs, special tools were arranged and developed for each target group during the MORECO project. These provided tools within the MORECO tool kit are generally possible to be used in every region or municipality to be a part of an overall and strategic mobility management. The adaption level of the tools can be fitted to all local framework conditions as far as the necessary data is available. In regions where the mobility behavior is mainly car-oriented the tools can be helpful and motivating to improve sustainable mobility offers, especially because there is mostly no possibility to stop directly future urban sprawl according to law. The practical results out of the project can be an incentive for other European regions and municipalities which also prioritize an improvement in the field of sustainable mobility

A Spotlight on Mobility and Interconnection in Rural vs. Urban Areas. GI_Forum 2013 – Creating the GISociety|

Compact settlement structures, an economically operated public transport system and a sufficient provision with basic supply are often considered as a major goal in regional planning leading to a sustainable settlement development. On the other hand living in single-family houses, lower costs of building land and the general wish of living in the green countryside are some driving forces for people to move to the outskirts of bigger cities, or to rural areas. These facts counteract the above mentioned goals in regional planning and also lead to high expenses for households concerning living and mobility in the long-term (this includes monetary costs as well as time expenses, travel distances, and CO2 emissions) and high infrastructure costs. In this article, based on results of the Alpine Space project MORECO (Mobility and Residential Costs), the authors present a thorough GIS-based regional analysis of a research area in Salzburg, tackling the topics of demographic and settlement development, mobility, and travel behaviour. In order to point out long-term effects and follow-up costs at individual residential locations, an approach of a settlement cost calculator for mobility and accessibility calculations in the Salzburg pilot region is also presented in this paper

A Spotlight on Mobility and Interconnection in Rural vs. Urban Areas. GI_Forum 2013 – Creating the GISociety|

Compact settlement structures, an economically operated public transport system and a sufficient provision with basic supply are often considered as a major goal in regional planning leading to a sustainable settlement development. On the other hand living in single-family houses, lower costs of building land and the general wish of living in the green countryside are some driving forces for people to move to the outskirts of bigger cities, or to rural areas. These facts counteract the above mentioned goals in regional planning and also lead to high expenses for households concerning living and mobility in the long-term (this includes monetary costs as well as time expenses, travel distances, and CO2 emissions) and high infrastructure costs. In this article, based on results of the Alpine Space project MORECO (Mobility and Residential Costs), the authors present a thorough GIS-based regional analysis of a research area in Salzburg, tackling the topics of demographic and settlement development, mobility, and travel behaviour. In order to point out long-term effects and follow-up costs at individual residential locations, an approach of a settlement cost calculator for mobility and accessibility calculations in the Salzburg pilot region is also presented in this paper

GIS and Transport Modeling – Strengthening the Spatial Perspective

The movement and transport of people and goods is spatial by its very nature. Thus, geospatial fundamentals of transport systems need to be adequately considered in transport models. Until recently this was not always the case. Instead, transport research and geography evolved widely independently in domain silos. However, driven by recent conceptual, methodological and technical developments the need for an integrated approach is obvious. This paper attempts to outline the potential of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for transport modeling. We identify three fields of transport modeling where the spatial perspective can significantly contribute to a more efficient modeling process and more reliable model results, namely geospatial data, disaggregated transport models and the role of geo-visualization. For these three fields, available findings from various domains are compiled before open aspects are formulated as research questions. The overall aim of this paper is to strengthen the spatial perspective in transport modeling and to call for a further integration of GIS in the domain of transport modeling

International Journal of Geo-Information / GIS and Transport Modeling - Strengthening the Spatial Perspective

The movement and transport of people and goods is spatial by its very nature. Thus, geospatial fundamentals of transport systems need to be adequately considered in transport models. Until recently, this was not always the case. Instead, transport research and geography evolved widely independently in domain silos. However, driven by recent conceptual, methodological and technical developments, the need for an integrated approach is obvious. This paper attempts to outline the potential of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for transport modeling. We identify three fields of transport modeling where the spatial perspective can significantly contribute to a more efficient modeling process and more reliable model results, namely, geospatial data, disaggregated transport models and the role of geo-visualization. For these three fields, available findings from various domains are compiled, before open aspects are formulated as research directions, with exemplary research questions. The overall aim of this paper is to strengthen the spatial perspective in transport modeling and to call for a further integration of GIS in the domain of transport modeling