From planning the port/city to planning the port-city : exploring the economic interface in European port cities

In last three decades, planning agencies of most ports have institutionally evolved into a (semi-) independent port authority. The rationale behind this process is that port authorities are able to react more quickly to changing logistical and spatial preferences of maritime firms, hence increasing the competitiveness of ports. Although these dedicated port authorities have proven to be largely successful, new economic, social, and environmental challenges are quickly catching up on these port governance models, and particularly leads to (spatial) policy ‘conflicts’ between port and city. This chapter starts by assessing this conflict and argue that the conflict is partly a result of dominant—often also academic—spatial representations of the port city as two separate entities. To escape this divisive conception of contemporary port cities, this chapter presents a relational visualisation method that is able to analyse the economic interface between port and city. Based on our results, we reflect back on our proposition and argue that the core challenge today for researchers and policy makers is acknowledging the bias of port/city, being arguably a self-fulfilling prophecy. Hence, we turn the idea of (planning the) port/city conflicts into planning the port-city’s strengths and weaknesses

Gevolgen nieuwe AAededingingswet voor commerciële samenwerking AAKB in de Nederlandse detailhandel

Gevolgen nieuwe AAededingingswet voor commerciële samenwerking AAKB in de Nederlandse detailhande

The Desired Quality of Integrated Multimodal Travel Information in Public Transport: Customer Needs for Time and Effort Savings

Travel information is one of the factors that contribute to the quality of public transport. In particular, integrated multimodal travel information (IMTI) is expected to affect customers' modal choice. The objective of this research is to identify customers' desired quality of IMTI provision in public transport. Customers' desired IMTI quality can vary throughout the pre-trip, wayside and on-board stages of a journey. The main determinants are time savings (travel and search time) and effort savings (physical, cognitive, and affective effort). In a sample of Dutch travellers with a substantial share of young persons, the pre-trip stage turns out to be the favourite stage to collect IMTI when planning multimodal travel; desired IMTI types in this stage are used to plan the part of the journey that is made by public transport. Wayside IMTI is most desired when it helps the traveller to catch the right vehicle en route. On-board travellers are most concerned about timely arrival at interchanges in order to catch connecting modes. In the whole travel process, travel time is the most important saving. Apart from that, pre-trip search time savings are also desired, while en route affective effort is more important than cognitive effort. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Investments in container terminals: public private partnerships

The desire to create a more competitive, market based transport system has led to the involvement of the private sector in infrastructure investments. A private financing of transport infrastructure is one of the felds where this trend can be recognised. However, there are also distinct aspects, which make it unattractive to invest in transport infrastructure for private parties. This paper will elucidate the characteristics of investments in infrastructure in general, with the aim to clarify the hesitation under private investors. In addition, one specific category of infrastructure investments, viz. container terminals, will be discussed here as an exception. Container terminals are mostly financed with involvement of private parties. From a comparative study between 'normal' investments in infrastructure and investments in container terminal infrastructure, we will argue that terminals have several features, which lead to a lower risk for private parties, in particular restricted competition in the terminal market and protected monopoly profits, labour productivity gains and fall in unit costs, and a light regulatory framework. Because of these characteristics public private partnerships occur rather often and seem to be attractive. However, without government support it is still not realistic to attract private investment in the terminal market.

Enablers and Barriers to the Adoption of Alternatively Powered Buses

This paper seeks to identify enablers and barriers that stimulate or prevent the adoption of alternatively powered buses (APBs) in cities. The research method concentrates on an in-depth analysis of 21 European demonstration case studies of APBs. Considerable differences exist between these cities due to the different reference situation. The type of measurement and the situation in the demonstration cities influence the exact fuel consumption and emission reduction. Variables that could enable the adoption of all types of APBs are: (1) the compatibility with previously introduced ideas; (2) the already available necessary supporting infrastructure in the city; (3) a changed external appearance of the APB; (4) the acceptance of the APBs by passengers and bus drivers; and (5) political support in the city regarding the APBs. The main variables that could be determined as barriers are: the relative economic advantage (the outline of costs is higher than that of conventional buses); and the understanding of the APB for bus drivers and mechanics (because special training is needed for both groups)

Improving home delivery efficiency by using principles of address intelligence for B2C deliveries

Transport and LogisticsTransport and Plannin