The multi modal study of transport investment plans.

In 1998 the UK Department for Transport commissioned a programme of 22 studies to examine the most acute congestion problems on the English road network. The studies promised a new approach to reducing road congestion by examining the contribution that all modes of transport could make to solve these problems. The studies have provided the most convincing evidence to date that road building alone will not be able to solve congestion and pollution problems. Extra road infrastructure will, in most cases, buy a few years’ respite from congestion on the inter-urban road network. The studies have proposed substantial packages of road and public transport improvements, combined with demand management and traffic restraint measures, to tackle the problems. The evidence suggests that some form of road-user charging will be required in many areas to ensure that the efficiency benefits gained from the extra road capacity will not simply be eroded by traffic growth as has been seen to date on routes such as the M25. The outcomes of the studies have prompted the Government to undertake a review of the potential for a national road-user charging system. The multimodal studies have undoubtedly brought about a more balanced and integrated approach to transport planning. There have been quite significant changes to the roads schemes that were initially remitted to the studies and evidence to suggest that significant environmental concerns are now playing a much stronger role in decisions taken by the Department for Transport. The challenge now is to ensure that all of the major parts of the integrated strategies proposed are delivered. A failure to do so will not only reduce the benefits the proposals offer but will also devalue the multi-modal approach taken to the studies

Brexit and the mythologies of nationalism: a warning for Wales

Richard Marsden explores the historical distinctions between nationalist movements in Scotland, Ireland and Wales - and what this means for the UK after Brexit

The real reason Yes Scotland avoids Braveheart nostalgia

In 1998 Alex Salmond dismissed doubts over Scotland’s Celtic lineage as “ignorance bordering on silliness”. In 2007 he expounded a vision of the country as a “Celtic lion” economy. In 2005 a Scottish National Party press release on the anniversary of William Wallace’s execution stated that he “saved the nation from surrender and annihilation”. More recently, Salmond’s impassioned speeches have channelled Mel Gibson’s Wallace from the 1995 Hollywood blockbuster Braveheart

Game of Thrones: imagined world combines romantic and grotesque visions of Middle Ages

OU historian Richard Marsden examines how longstanding assumptions about the Middle Ages have shaped the world presented in HBO's Gamer of Throne

Software for Schenkerian Analysis

Software developed to automate the process of Schen-kerian analysis is described. The current state of the art is that moderately good analyses of small extracts can be generated, but more information is required about the criteria by which analysts make decisions among alternative interpretations in the course of analysis. The software described here allows the procedure of reduction to be examined while in process, allowing decision points, and potentially criteria, to become clear

Who was St David?

Where does St David's iconic status stem from and what is known of the man who lived 1500 years ago? Explore St David in more detail here..