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Brock University TREN 3P18 / Burapha University International College 957439
Sustainable Transportation
SPECIAL TERM ABROAD IN THAILAND INTERNATIONAL SESSION

 

www.brocku.ca/tren/courses/tren3p18/

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WHO's WHO IN TREN 3P18/ BUUIC 957439
Meetings:

 
Wed: 0900-1150
Room 401, Dr. Suchart Upatham International College Building
Lecture attendance is mandatory

Instructor: David T. Brown
Office: Dr. Suchart Upatham International College Building  Room 603
Telephone: 09-1513-3493

E-mail:

 dbrown@brocku.ca

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  stoplight QUICK
NAVIGATION:		    
Introduction Evaluation Synthesis Sessions
and Report		 Synthesis
Session 1
 Questions		 Synthesis
Session 2 
Questions
Weekly
Readings		 Examination Online
Lecture Notes		 Bibliography Who's Who
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smlight.gif (1129 bytes) Introduction

Motorized mobility and affordable travel bring many significant environmental, social, and economic impacts, both positive and negative. Affluent people consider personal mobility to be a right, and even those of modest means aspire to travel. Can we manage the consequences of our ever-increasing quest for mobility? Can transportation be made more sustainable? This course is an interdisciplinary international survey of the cultural, social and economic impacts of transportation and its effects on built and natural environments.

A major focus of the course is the automobile and its impacts and alternatives. Other transport modes (aircraft, rail, cruise ships and watercraft, cycling, snowmobiles, ATVs, and other specialized transportation) may also be considered. The course makes extensive use of multimedia (film, video and online resources) integrated into in-class lectures, discussions and presentations. Students will also participate in peer-led interdisciplinary synthesis sessions.
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Brock Students:


Synthesis Session Reports ..................... 35 %

Comprehensive Final Exam ..................... 35 %

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BUUIC Students:


Midterm and Final Exams (2 x 35 %)....... 70 %

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Everyone:

Participation.......................................... 10 %

Class attendance................................... 10 %

Peer evaluation...................................... 10 %
______________________________________

Total....................................................100 %

Note: BUUIC students have the option to follow the same
evaluation scheme as Brock students if they choose.

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  • Late assignments are penalized at the rate of 33.3% per day, 7 days per week.

  • Plagiarism will result in an automatic grade of zero on the assignment and possible university disciplinary action. Computer-assisted anti-plagiarism tools may be employed.

  • Students must know and abide by the policies and regulations of their respective institutions regarding appropriate conduct, academic misconduct, and plagiarism. See The Fine Print (below) for further details.

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smlight.gif (1129 bytes) Synthesis Sessions and Reports

SYNTHESIS SESSION 1 QUESTIONS

Integrating and making sense of interdisciplinary information from various sources is a major objective of this course. Synthesis sessions are designed to allow interaction with your peers to discuss the implications and linkages of each topic in more detail.

In synthesis class, each Brock student will be responsible for answering one of the questions in detail and leading discussion within the entire class on this topic, integrating the material presented from all sources within the thematic framework of the course. Each presenter will be allotted about 15 minutes for discussion and 5 minutes for presentation.

ALL STUDENTS (Burapha and Brock) will be asked to evaluate your peers on their participation and performance in these classroom discussion sessions.

A properly formatted written synthesis report must be submitted electronically by Brock students to all your peers in the course and to the instructor  by midnight two days before the synthesis session. Each synthesis  report will consist of a concise (maximum 1500 words) response to the question for which you are responsible. 

Substantiate your response and conclusions with properly formatted references from outside sources and from course readings. Aim for a minimum of 10 references, at least half of which should be from peer-reviewed academic journals or similar credible academic sources.

The instructor reserves the right to make use of computerized anti-plagiarism tools to screen all submitted assignments.

 
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smlight.gif (1129 bytes) Weekly Readings


Readings for each presentation will be distributed electronically or (rarely) placed on reserve in the BUUIC library. 

 
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The final examination will take place on 24 April in Room IC 401 from 09:00-12:00.

 

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smlight.gif (1129 bytes) Lecture Schedule
(subject to modification)
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09 Jan
  • Course Introduction
  • Review of course outline
  • Expectations
  • Peer photos
Transportation Filmfest:
16 Jan

Transportation Filmfest:

Review: Principles of Sustainability / Policy

Principles of sustainability:

Policy:
23 Jan

Review: Principles of Sustainability / Policy (continued)

Principles of sustainability:

Policy:
30 Jan

Reflection on sustainability

Sustainable transportation performance indicators

  • What is sustainable transportation?

Refs:

Gilbert, Richard and Katharine Myrans. 2003. Sustainable Transportation Performance Indicators. Environment Canada / Centre for Sustainable Transportation. 18 pp. Available in PDF format at http://cst.uwinnipeg.ca/documents/STPI_synopsis.pdf (current to 10 Jan 2013).

06 Feb

The Economic, Environmental, and Social Costs of the Car

Readings: 

Workshop Exercise: The Costs of the Car 

Download CANADIAN VERSION

13 Feb

No lecture due to Chinese New Year and student illnesses

20 Feb

Cultural perspectives on auto dependency

Marketing and Car Names

Video:

  • Car Crazy (Episode II)
Readings:
Meet Edward and Jordan. They are mechaphiles -- men who are sexually obsessed by cars. They regularly chat online, but this program sees them undertake the journey of a lifetime to attend a huge car convention.

Both VW Beetle owners, the men reveal their stories and what it's like to have a "full" relationship with a car. But how will the men react when faced with a huge beauty parade of metal and rubber, and will they be able to remain faithful?

 

Readings:
27 Feb

Cultural perspectives on auto dependency (continued)

Video:

Part II - INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON MOBILITY

Video presentation:

  • Cars versus People (Episode II, Automania, 1984). 30 Minutes.

Readings:
06 Mar

International Perspectives on Mobility (cont'd).

Alternative fuels for transportation / Electric vehicles

Video presentation:

Readings - Alternative fuels:

See also:
13 Mar

Synthesis Session 2
In-class group presentations by Brock students
20 Mar

First 90 minutes: Mid-term examination for BUUIC students

Last 90 minutes: Trails and Greenways

Urban Planning case studies (historical and recent):
27 Mar Autos, Urban Form, and Fossil Fuels

BEFORE COMING TO CLASS:

Articles  (several, but short!!):

Audio clip:

IN CLASS:

Video presentation:

  • The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream (2004). Hosted by Barrie Zwicker. Featuring James Howard Kunstler, Peter Calthorpe, Michael Klare, Richard Heinberg, Matthew Simmons, Michael C. Ruppert, Julian Darley, Colin Campbell, Kenneth Deffeyes, Ali Samsam Bakhtiari and Steve Andrews. Directed by Gregory Greene. Produced by Barry Silverthorn. Duration: 78 minutes. The Electric Wallpaper Co., PO Box 13, Paris ON N3L 3E5 Canada.


 

Peak Oil 
(Journeyman Pictures, London, U.K. - 2006)

Is the age of cheap oil about to come to an end? According to many experts, we are about to reach the point of "peak oil", the level at which supply can no longer keep up with demand. This, say the doomsayers, could send economies spinning into turmoil and up-end our comfortable, urban lifestyles. But others claim predictions like this are simply scaremongering. They believe supply will match demand for decades to come. So who’s telling the truth? ‘Peak Oil’ investigates.

03 Apr

Transportation on Vacation I: Air Travel and Greenhouse Gases

Video Presentation:

  • Aston, Ceri and Mike Wiseman. 2007. Should I really give up flying? Video documentary, BBC 2 (Manchester), January 2007 - 46 Minutes. Broadcast in Canada on CBC TV's The Passionate Eye on 24 September 2007 (see synopsis an links at http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeyemonday/feature_240907.html)
Some brief articles on additional transportation concepts of relevance (total approximately 10 pages):

Commercial aviation and its impacts:

Renewed potential of shipping for goods transport:

Carbon offsets

Some "plane talk" about carbon offsetting:

Carbon emission calculators for aviation

 
10 Apr Transportation on vacation II: Cruise ships and their impacts

Readings available online:

Cruise ship references

  • Johnson, David. 2002.  Environmentally sustainable cruise tourism: a reality check. Marine Policy 26(4): 261-270 (July 2002). Available online through Brock University e-journals in PDF or HTML formats.

  • Bluewater Network / Friends of the Earth. 2006. Cruise Ships: More Ships, More Passengers, More Pollution. Available online at http://www.brocku.ca/tren/courses/tren3p18/Cruiseship_MiniReport_06.pdf (current to 09 Feb 2011).

Read Chapter 2 - Environmental Effects of Cruise Ships (pp. 7-23) in:

  • New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. 2003. Just cruising? Environmental effects of cruise ships. Wellington: Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. 56 pp. Available online at: www.brocku.ca/tren/courses/tren3p18/JustCruising.pdf (current to 22 March 2007).

Read Acknowledgements, Foreword, Executive Summary (pp. 1-5) and Conclusions (p.51) in:
17 Apr SONGKRAN HOLIDAY
24 Apr Final examination for all students - Room IC 401, 09:00-12:00.
01 May FINAL COURSE WRAP UP

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smlight.gif (1129 bytes)  Online Lecture Notes

Right-click to download or left-click to view in browser:

 

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION COURSE OVERVIEW

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION DEFINITIONS AND INDICATORS

ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL COSTS OF THE CAR

ENERGY SECURITY IN CANADA / THE END OF SUBURBIA

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON MOBILITY

TRANSIT IN HONG KONG

CAR-FREE COMMUNITY OF DISCOVERY BAY

UNEP SUSTAINABLE TOURISM FRAMEWORK: IMPACTS OF TOURISM

CRUISE SHIPS AND THEIR IMPACTS

AVIATION IMPACTS / CARBON OFFSETS


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smlight.gif (1129 bytes)Bibliography

The following is a brief and non-exhaustive compendium of print and online material relevant to this course. Not all print materials are accessible at both Brock University and Otago libraries. Exact Library of Congress classification codes may vary amongst different libraries.

Alternatives Journal. 1998. Cars vs Transit (special theme issue). Pages 16 - 42. Volume 24, Number 1, Winter 1998. Periodical PER HC 79 E5 A45 V.24, 1998.

Bottles, Scott. 1987. Los Angeles and the Automobile: The Making of the Modern City. University of California Press, Berkeley. (HE 5634 L7 B68 1987)

Dunn, James A.1998. Driving forces : the automobile, its enemies, and the politics of mobility. Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C. (HE 5623 D86 1998)

Engwicht, David. 1993. Reclaiming our cities and towns: Better living with less traffic. New Society publishers, Gabriola Island, B.C. (HT 166 E54 1993)

Flink, James J. 1975. The car culture. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.(TL 23 F572)

Freund, Peter and George Martin. 1993. The Ecology of the Automobile. Black Rose Books, Montreal. (HE 5613 F73 1993)

Gordon, Deborah. 1991. Steering a New Course: Transportation, Energy, and the Environment. Union of Concerned Scientists. Island Press, Washington, D.C. (HE 5623 G67 1991)

Jennings, Jan. 1990. Roadside America : the automobile in design and culture. Iowa State University Press / Society for Commercial Archeology. Ames, Iowa. (HE 5623 R62 1990).

Litman, Todd. 2002. The Costs of Automobile Dependency and the Benefits of Balanced Transportation. Victoria Transport Policy Institute. Available in PDF format at www.vtpi.org/ecodev.pdf (current to 22 Jan 2005).

Litman, Todd.2006. Evaluating Transportation Equity: Guidance For Incorporating Distributional Impacts in Transportation Planning. Victoria Transport Policy Institute, 18 January 2006. Available in PDF format at  http://www.vtpi.org/equity.pdf (current to 22 Jan 2005).

Mackenzie, James J. 1994. The Keys to the Car: Electric and Hydrogen Vehicles for the 21st Century. World Resources Institute. WRI Publications, Baltimore, Maryland. (TD 886.5 M25 1994)

Mackenzie, James J. and Michael P. Walsh. 1990. Driving Forces: Motor Vehicle Trends and Their Implications for Global Warming, Energy Strategies, and Transportation Planning. World Resources Institute. WRI Publications, Baltimore, Maryland. (TD 886.5 M33 1990)

Mathew, Don and Andrew Rothwell. 1991. The Environmental Impact of the Car. Greenpeace International, The Netherlands.

McShane, Clay. 1994. Down the Asphalt Path: The Automobile and the American City. Columbia University Press, New York. (HE 5623 M34 1994)

Nadis, Steve and James J. MacKenzie. 1993. Car Trouble. World Resources Institute Guide to the Environment. Beacon Press, Boston. (TD 886.5 N3 1993)

Newman, Peter W.G. and Jeffrey R. Kenworthy. 1989. Cities and automobile dependence : a sourcebook. Gower Books, Brookfield, Vt. (HT 166 E54 1993)

ORTEE / NRTEE (Ontario Round Table on Environment and Economy / National Round Table on Environment and Economy). 1995. A Strategy for Sustainable Transportation in Ontario: Report of the Transportation and Climate Change Collaborative.   ISBN 0-7778-4672-1 (no publisher imprint).

Renner, Michael. 1988. Rethinking the role of the automobile. Worldwatch Paper 84. Worldwatch Institute, Washington. (HE 5613 R37 1988)

Rock, Maxine. 1992. The Automobile and the Environment. Chelsea House Publishers, New York. (TD 886.5 R64 1992)

Safdie, Moshe (with Wendy Kohn). 1997. The City After the Automobile: An architect's vision. Stoddart Publishing, Toronto. (HT 371 S23 1997)

Schiller, Preston L., Eric C. Bruun and Jeffrey R. Kenworthy. 2010. An introduction to sustainable transportation : policy, planning and implementation. London ; Washington : Earthscan. (U of O permalink) 

Sloman, Lynn. 2006. Car sick : solutions for our car-addicted culture. Chelsea Green Pub. Co. White River Junction, Vt. (HE 336 P43 S46 2006)

Vanderwagen, Joell. 1991. Transit in Canada: A Handbook for Environmentalists. Greenpeace Canada, Toronto.

Victoria Transport Policy Institute. Various dates. TDM (Transportation Demand Management) Encyclopedia.
Available in PDF format at http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/ (current to 22 Jan 2005).

Zielinski, Sue and Gordon Laird (eds.). 1995. Beyond the Car: Essays on auto culture. Steel Rail Publishing / Transportation Options, Toronto. (HE 5613 B48 1995) 

Zuckermann, Wolfgang. 1991. End of the Road: The World Car Crisis and How We Can Solve It. Chelsea Green Publishing Company, Post Mills, Vermont. (HE 5611 Z83 1991)

 
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smlight.gif (1129 bytes) The Fine Print: University Policies and Regulations for Academic and Non-Academic Conduct

For TREN 3P18 / BUUIC957439: Sustainable Transportation, 

  • Late assignments are penalized at the rate of 33.3% per day, 7 days per week.

  • Plagiarism will result in an automatic grade of zero on the assignment and possible university disciplinary action. Computer-assisted anti-plagiarism tools may be employed by the instructor.

  • Students must know and abide by the policies and regulations of their respective institutions regarding appropriate conduct, academic misconduct, and plagiarism.

 

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