Optimisation Of Policies For Transport Integration In Metropolitan Areas: Report on Work Package 10.

The task of Work Package 10 is to specify the objective functions to be optimised in the project. As set out in the Technical Annex of the project, there are to be two or at most three versions of the objective function. The first one is to reflect economic efficiency objectives. The second one is to reflect concerns about the sustainability of urban transport. A combination of the two may possibly reflect both kinds of objectives and a definite trade-off between them. There is of course a wide range of objectives of transport policy in urban areas, but most can be grouped under the broad headings of economic efficiency, including economic development, on the one hand, and sustainability, including environment, safety, equity and quality of life, on the other. Therefore, although the objectives of the nine studied cities will inevitably be different, if the objective functions are adequately specified, it should be possible for each of them to find its own transport policy objectives mirrored in either the economic efficiency objective function or the sustainability objective function, or both. To enhance the chances that the optimal policies that we identify in the project will in fact be implemented, an important element of Work Package 10 is to discuss the formulation of the objective functions with the cities, and to secure that the final specification is acceptable to them. The transport models of the nine cities differ as to what policies can be modelled and what information they produce. These practical limitations will have to be taken into account when formulating the objective functions. The methods in use to evaluate urban transport policy differ between the cities. For example, cost benefit analyses are not used everywhere, and the effects included in these kinds of analyses and the weights attached to them differ. To take account of that, a disaggregated yet simple form of presentation of the results of applying the objective functions to each particular model run is sought. It will then be possible for each city to relate the results to their usual evaluation methods. Also, each city may use their own values for the discount rate, value of time savings etc. within limits imposed by the needs to compare the results of the different cities. Summing up, the task of Work Package 10 is to >specify a standard set of objective functions for both economic efficiency and sustainability, which are acceptable to, and can be applied in, all the cities being studied< (Technical Annex, p.4)

What will you do to help elementary students who struggle in the engineering design process? Analysis of teachers’ reflections (Fundamental)

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Project selection with sets of mutually exclusive alternatives

We study the problem to maximise the net economic benefit of an investment plan by selecting from a portfolio of candidate projects within a given budget constraint. As is well known, with independent projects the economic efficiency of the entire investment plan is maximised if projects are selected according to their benefit-cost ratio until the budget is exhausted. Often, however, the planning of a project involves a stage where a set of alternative concepts or designs are considered. A best alternative is chosen, and the plan is composed from the pool of all such best alternatives. This procedure violates the assumptions underlying the benefit-cost ratio criterion. In this paper, we set out the correct criterion to use. A real-life example from Norwegian transport planning is provided to show how the global setting into which the project is going to compete, matters for the selection criterion to be used.acceptedVersio

Developing teachers’ intentions of incorporating socioscientific issues in lesson design

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Biomonitoring of contaminants in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) from the city fjord in Flekkefjord

Master's thesis in Coastal ecology (BIO501

Productivity growth in Norwegian ferry links 1988-1996, and implications for regulation

Tese de Mestrado em História Moderna apresentada à Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de CoimbraA presente dissertação aborda o domínio senhorial em Cantanhede nos finais do Antigo Regime, protagonizado pela Casa Cantanhede-Marialva. Procuramos numa primeira fase analisar o domínio senhorial numa vertente jurisdicional e territorial e encetamos, em seguida, uma abordagem à formação da Casa senhorial de Cantanhede-Marialva apresentando os privilégios e direitos jurisdicionais que deteve ao longo da sua existência. Prosseguimos com a análise dos territórios do Concelho de Cantanhede onde o donatário detinha domínio. Destacamos a Coutada como território de reserva de recursos naturais que suscitou problemas com a população gerando alguns processos. Por fim, encetamos uma viagem pela contestação antisenhorial que se verificou no Antigo Regime português, terminando com a análise da situação cantanhedense. Com o estudo deste tema, procuramos contribuir para um maior conhecimento sobre o domínio senhorial da Época Moderna e, de forma particular, sobre contestação antisenhorial em vigor nos finais do Antigo Regime. A Carta enviada pela Câmara Municipal de Cantanhede às Cortes Constituintes em 1821 constitui-se como um documento singular neste contexto

Developing Teachers’ Intentions of Incorporating Socioscientific Issues in Lesson Design

In an effort to increase students’ informed decisions and evidence-based argumentation and perspective taking in the STEM classroom, this case study explored the ways in which teachers’ thinking and intention of incorporating Socioscientific Issues (SSI) into their lesson plans change after participating in an experiential workshop. Recognizing the difficulties inherent in SSI implementation, the day-long teacher development implemented a multi-layered approach which included declarative and procedural knowledge construction, namely understanding SSI components, SSI lesson planning, and learning STEM topics through the SSI framework. Pre-post conference questionnaires and lesson analysis showed that teachers were adept in developing SSI-focused lessons. In addition, the majority of teachers who had not previously taught an SSI lesson, did intend to develop SSI lessons in the future which included scientific phenomena or system dynamics. Implications for STEM teacher development are discussed

Cycling and walking for transport: Estimating net health effects from comparison of different transport mode users' self-reported physical activity

Background: There is comprehensive evidence of the positive health effects of physical activity, and transport authorities can enable this by developing infrastructure for cycling and walking. In particular, cycling to work or to school can be a relatively high intensity activity that by itself might suffice for maximum health gain. In this paper, we present estimates of net health effects that can be assumed for demand responses to infrastructure development. The estimation was based on comparing current cyclists/pedestrians against potential cyclists/pedestrians, applying the international physical activity questionnaire, which is a survey-based method for estimating metabolic equivalent task levels from self-reported types of physical activity, and their frequency, duration and level of intensity (moderate or vigorous).. By comparing between shares of individuals with medium or high intensity levels, within the segments of current cyclists/pedestrians and potential cyclists/pedestrians, we estimate the possible net health effects of potential new users of improved cycling/walking infrastructure. For an underpinning of the estimates, we also include the respondents' assessments of the extent to which cycling/walking for transport replaces other physical activity, and we carry out a regression of cycling/walking activity levels on individual characteristics and cycle/walk facility features. Results: The estimated share of new regular cyclists obtaining net health gains was ca. 30%, while for new regular pedestrians this was only ca. 15%. These estimates are based on the assumption that the new users of improved cycle/walk facilities are best represented by self-declared potential users of such improved facilities. For potential cyclists/pedestrians, exercise was stated as the main motivation for physical active transport, but among current regular cyclists fast and flexible was just as important as exercising. Measured intensity levels from physically active transport increased with separate cycling/walking facilities, and were higher for those with higher education and living in urban areas, while they were lower for those with higher BMI and higher age. Conclusions: Since the share obtaining net health gains might have a huge impact on cost-benefit analysis of new or improved infrastructure for cyclists/pedestrians, it is of importance to estimate this share. A main limitation of our estimation is the cross-sectional design. There is a need for more case studies combining surveys and objective measurement of physical activity changes, preferably before and after the construction of new infrastructure

Verdien av raskere og mer pålitelig godstransport

Vi konstruerer en logistikkostnadsmodell som inkluderer de ulike transport¬kostnads¬elementene, og avleder tidsverdier og pålitelighetsverdier av den med hjelp av omhyllingssetningen. Vi finner at tidsverdien består av de kilometer¬avhengige transportkostnadene pluss kostnaden ved å binde kapital i varer under transport. I tillegg finner vi en eksplisitt formel for verdsetting av økt pålitelighet. For å finne ut hvordan forventet transporttid og variansen til transporttida endrer seg med ulike tiltak, anvender vi en teoretisk modell for forventning og varians til forsinkelsen pr. kilometer som følge av hendelser på vegen. Dermed har vi – i teorien – et fullstendig opplegg for å beregne nytte for godstrafikken av tiltak som påvirker transporttidas forventning og varians. Det gjenstår å utvide opplegget til andre transportformer enn vegtransport, å vurdere andre kilder til forsinkelser enn hendelser undervegs, og å tilrettelegge data som trenges til opplegget