GEOG 80 Transport Geography
Professor: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Topic 2 – Transportation and the
Spatial Structure
A. Historical Geography of
Transportation
B. Transport and Spatial Organization
C. Transport and Location
D. Future Transportation
Hofstra University, Department of Global Studies & Geography
B – TRANSPORT AND SPATIAL
ORGANIZATION
1. Global Spatial Organization
2. Regional Spatial Organization
3. Local Spatial Organization
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Scales of Spatial Organization for Transportation
Scale
Nodes
Links
Relations
Global
Gateways and
hubs (airports
and ports)
Air and
maritime
lanes
Investment,
trade and
production
Regional
Cities
Corridors (rail
lines,
highways,
canals)
Urban system
and hinterland
Local
Employment
and commercial
activities
Roads and
transit
systems
Commuting and
distribution
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
1. Global Spatial Organization
■ Reciprocity
• Transportation shapes space and space shapes transportation.
• Reciprocity in location:
• Composed of nodes, links and flows.
• Streets: Shaping urban organization in terms of locations and relations.
• Maritime shipping networks: Reflect the spatial organization of the global
economy.
• Reciprocity in mobility:
•
•
•
•
Activities are dependent on transportation at one level or another.
Based on a level of mobility.
Retail activity: conditioned by local accessibility
Large manufacturing plant: accessibility to global freight distribution for its
inputs as well as its outputs.
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
1. Global Spatial Organization
■ Impacts
• Economic specialization and productivity, through international
trade.
• Expanding markets and development opportunities, but not
uniformly.
• Inequalities of the global economy are reflected in its spatial
organization and transport systems.
• Growth in spatial flows (trade) and increased interdependencies:
• Telecommunications, maritime transport and air transport.
• Scale of service.
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Core / Periphery Division of the World
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Transport Gateways and Hubs
Intermodal
Transmodal
Gateway
Hub
Accessibility to a large system of circulation
of freight and passengers.
Favorable physical location.
Transport infrastructures.
Origin, a destination and a point of transit.
Commands the entrance to and the exit from
its catchment area.
Central point.
Collection, sorting, transshipment and
distribution of goods for a particular area.
Used in air transport for passengers as well
as for freight.
Collection and distribution through a single
point such as the “Hub and Spoke” concept.
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
World’s Major Gateway Systems, 2006
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Major North American Gateways, 2007
8.5%
17.4%
13.5%
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2. Regional Spatial Organization
■ Urban systems
• Interdependent set of cities.
• Mainly based on a series of market areas.
• Specialized industries:
• Mainly manufacturing and mining.
• Group into agglomerations according to location factors such a raw
materials, labor, markets, etc
• Export oriented industries; provide for basic growth.
• Services:
• Administration, finance, retail, wholesale and other similar services.
• Tend to agglomerate in a system of central places (cities).
• Optimal accessibility to labor or potential customers.
• Transport nodes and links:
• Service major centers of economic activity.
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Main North American Trade Corridors and
Metropolitan Freight Centers
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
The BostWash Corridor
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
3. Local Spatial Organization
■ Urban transportation
• Urbanization and transport are interrelated concepts.
• Employment zones:
•
•
•
•
Passengers and freight movements.
Dissociation between the workplace and the residence.
Increase in number and length of commuting trips.
Before suburbanization, public transit was wholly responsible for
commuting.
• The automobile now supports the majority of these trips.
• Attraction zones:
• Areas to which a majority of the population travels.
• Shopping, professional services, education and leisure.
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
C – TRANSPORT AND LOCATION
1. The Importance of Transport in Location
2. Location Factors
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
1. The Importance of Transport in Location
■ Location
• Outcome of a constrained choice (several factors).
• Explain the locational logic of economic activities:
• Market, institutional and behavioral considerations.
• Explicit or implicit role attributed to transport.
■ Ports and airports
• Convergence of related activities around terminals.
■ Roads and railroads
• Structuring and convergence effect (according to accessibility).
■ Telecommunications
• No specific local influence, but the quality of regional and national
telecommunication systems tends to ease transactions.
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
1. The Importance of Transport in Location
PLANNING
MARKETS
How?
INPUTS
In what quantity?
What to produce or sell?
Where?
SPACE
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Factors Affecting Location Decisions
Country Factors
Region Factors
Local Factors
•Government rules, attitudes,
political risk, incentives
•Culture & economy
•Market location
•Labor availability, attitudes,
productivity, and cost
•Availability of supplies,
communications, energy
•Exchange rates and currency
risks
•Attractiveness of region
(culture, taxes, climate, etc.)
•Labor, availability & costs
•Costs and availability of
utilities
•Environmental regulations of
state and town
•Government incentives
•Proximity to raw materials &
customers
•Land/construction costs
•Site size and cost
•Air, rail, highway, and
waterway systems
•Zoning restrictions
•Nearness of services /
supplies needed
•Environmental impact issues
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Locational Changes
Employment
Production
X
3
1
Intensification
Concentration
Space
Rationalization and
relocation
Specialization
2
4
Product A
Product B
Product C
Product D
X
Closing
X
X
X
X
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Basic Location Factors
Site
Land, utilities, visibility,
transportation (local access),
amenities
Accessibility
Labor, materials, energy,
markets, suppliers / customers
Meso
Location
Micro
Socioeconomic Environment
Capital, subsidies, regulations,
taxation, technology
Macro
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2. Location Factors
Sector
Primary
Related to environmental endowments, such as natural resources.
Most basic location factors.
Secondary
Complex web of location factors.
Depending upon the industrial sector, relate to labor (cost and/or skill level),
energy costs, capital, land, markets and/or proximity of suppliers.
Location is thus an important cost factor (cost minimization).
Tertiary
Bound to market proximity.
Capacity to sell a product or service is the most important location
requirement.
Consumer proximity (as well as their level of income) is essential and is
directly related to sale levels.
Maximize sales revenues.
Quaternary
High level services (banking, insurance), education, research and
development; dominantly the high technology sector.
Can be located almost anywhere (telecommunications and amenities).
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
E – FUTURE TRANSPORTATION
1. Past Trends and Uncertain Future
2. Technological Trends
3. Economic and Regulatory Trends
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
1. Past Trends and Uncertain Future
■ Revolutionary changes
•
•
•
•
Completely new technology.
Create new markets and growth opportunities.
Often marks the obsolescence of an existing technology.
Can paradigm shifts be predicted?
■ Incremental changes
• Improvement of existing technology and operations.
• Leads to increases in productivity:
• More capacity.
• Lower costs.
• Better performance.
• Possible to extrapolate.
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
General Impacts of Transport Innovations
Field
Outcome
Travel time
Lower time and higher reliability
Trip planning
Easier to book and monitor
Environment
Less environmental impacts and noise
Energy
Lower energy consumption pet unit carried
Assets
Higher level of utilization of modes and infrastructure
Safety
Reduced number of accidents, fatalities and injuries
Accessibility
Improved accessibility; reduced friction of distance
Cross-border
Improved throughput and security
Infrastructure
Longer life cycle, improved maintenance and reliability
Materials
New and recycled materials
Intermodal
Improved connections between modes
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Flying Car Concept, 1951
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Flying Car (Spinner) in Science Fiction (Blade
Runner, 1982)
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Major Technological Improvements in
Transportation, Second Half of the 20th Century
Innovation
Characteristics
Superships (1960-)
Bulk and tank vessels with a mass up Reduce transport costs through
to half a million deadweight tons.
massive economies of scale.
Container vessels (1968-)
Vessel specifically designed to carry
containers.
Carry primarily manufactured goods
with the capacity to interface with
major land transport systems.
Jet aircraft (1958-)
Fast an non-stop services between
major urban centers.
Linked with the development of
service activities such as banking,
finance and tourism.
Reduction in fuel consumption due to
Fuel-efficient vehicles (1970-) lower weight and more efficient
engines.
High-speed trains (1964-)
Trains capable of moving at speed
higher than 200 km/hr.
Role
Enabled highway transport to
increase its share of urban an
intercity transport.
Effective competition between
intercity air and road transport in
high density areas.
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
1. Past Trends and Uncertain Future
■ Cyclic character of transport innovations
• Innovations lead to a wave of development.
• A cycles starts with a revolution and evolves incrementally.
• Introduction:
• Private entrepreneurs and innovators.
• Growth:
• Fast adoption; Often involves a “paradigm shift” event.
• Maturity:
• Maximal spatial coverage.
• Government involvement (investment, regulations, etc.)
• Rationalization/obsolescence:
• Diminishing returns (Segment or system-wide).
• Possibility of nationalization.
• A mix of regulations (protect public interests) and deregulations (increase
productivity).
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Growth of the US Transport System, 19th – 21st Century
4%
Canals
1825 Paradigm shift
1836 Peak year
3%
Rail
2%
Roads
1869
1969
1913
Air
Maglev
1825
1836
1%
1891
1946
2001
Δt= 55 years
Δt= 65 years
Δt= 70 years
Δt= 30 years
0%
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
2050
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Development of Operational Speed for Major
Transport Modes, 1750-2000 (km per hour)
1000
750
500
Jet Plane
Road
Rail
Maritime
Air
TGV
Propeller Plane
250
Automobile
100
Rail
50
Stage Coach
Liner
Clipper Ship
1800
1850
1900
Containership
1950
2000
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2. Technological Trends
■ Promising technologies
• Automated transport systems:
• Complete or partial automation of the vehicle, transshipment and control.
• Improvement of existing modes (Automated highway systems).
• Creation of new modes and new transshipment systems (Public transit
and freight transportation).
• Alternative modes:
• Replace or complement existing modes.
• Maglev:
– Magnetic levitation (no friction with its support and no moving parts).
– Operational speeds of 500 km per hour.
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Maglev Train, Shanghai 2003
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
ULTra (Urban Light Transport) System, Cardiff,
UK
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2. Technological Trends
• Alternative fuels:
• Hybrid:
–
–
–
–
Internal combustion engine and electric motor.
Breaking is used to recharge a battery.
Diesel has a high potential; can be made from coal or organic fuels.
A transitional technology to cope with higher energy prices.
• Biofuels:
– Additive (and possibly a supplement) to petroleum.
– Impacts on food production must be carefully assessed.
• Fuel cells:
–
–
–
–
Electric generator using the catalytic conversion of hydrogen and oxygen.
Applicable only to light vehicles, notably cars, or to small power systems.
Low environmental impact alternative to generate energy.
Fuel cell cars are expected to reach mass production by 2015?.
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
3. Economic and Regulatory Trends
■ Market versus planning
• Provide increased flexibility and adaptability for transportation.
• Cannot be planned; Governments:
•
•
•
•
•
Poor managers.
Slow to understand technological changes (inertia).
Regulations and preferences to specific modes or to specific technologies.
Misallocation of capital in “pork barrel” projects.
If the new mode / technology competes with a nationalized transport
system, then the government will intervene to prevent its emergence.
• Future transport systems will be the outcome of private initiatives.
• The market will always try to find and adopt the most efficient
form of transportation available.
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Circum-Hemispheric Rings of Circulation
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue