The course consists of an introduction to the field of public transport including how different scientific traditions study public transport as well as five different themes in public transport research. The themes are the Passengers, Planning, Management, Traffic and social benefits and impacts. Each theme will include an introductory lecture, a homework assignment including the reading of literature as well as seminars where homework and literature are discussed.
Under the theme the Travellers primarily questions of who are traveling and not traveling, different traveller’s needs and values, public transport's impact on the individual's ability to travel, and gender equality in public transport are treated. Planning will take up the issues of land use, integrated land use planning and transport planning and how different urban structures contribute or not to a well-integrated public transport supply. Issues of power and cooperation between different planning actors are central as well as how citizens through deliberative planning ideologies emergence given greater say in the planning context. The area is also discussed various techniques and methods of integrated planning practice. The theme of Governance includes aspects such as political decisions, organization, management control, financing, contract forms, etc. and traffic aspects of the type of system that is appropriate, different types of systems, system operation, logistics, planning of routes and timetables, ticketing, information and modelling . The Social benefits and effects is based on the classic welfare arguments (Kaldor-Hicks), and also for society as public transport can help. Models / methods, such as, for example, cost-benefit analysis, which in different ways trying to evaluate these effects are taken up. The theme will also highlight the public transport's impact on the environment.
