TRA904-302 Delivering Sustainable Transport Objectives in Barcelona (Autumn 2024)

About the course

Barcelona is a city of 1.8 million people in a wider urban region of 4 million people. It has a reputation for being innovative in the field of urban transport and in addition it has some unique characteristics – particularly its very high land-use density. However, in many other respects the challenges it faces in making urban transport more sustainable are typical of large cities across Europe. This seminar will introduce students to the mobility and land use geography of Barcelona and its region, to its transport governance structure, its transport policy objectives, to the measures it is implementing to try to achieve its objectives, and to the implementation challenges it faces in so doing. It will test students’ creativity and group working skills as one of the assessments will require them to propose and appraise additional measures that could be implemented to meet transport policy objectives.

Specific measures covered will include streetscape transformation and road capacity reduction, local and regional public transport, cycling, land use planning, and regional road network capacity enhancements.

The course is connected to the following study programs

• Master of Science in Logistics
• Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Logistics
• Master of Science in Sustainable Transport and Urban Mobility

Recommended requirements

Creativity and flexibility. Knowledge of a Latin language within the student group would be helpful.

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

Knowledge: To have a well-developed awareness of the nature of transport problems as they affect a European city and city region; to know about its transport policy objectives and priorities; and to be able to catalogue the transport and related measures that the region and city are trying to put in place to achieve these objectives.

Skills: to understand the implementation process for transport policy measures in a western European city regional with multi-level governance structures and a mixture of policy priorities. To be able to formulate and evaluate measures that contribute to the achievement of specific transport policy objectives in a large European city.

General competences: to develop an ability to work in a multi-cultural environment. To develop independent thinking, problem-solving and team working.

Forms of teaching and learning

Teaching consists of lectures including by invited speakers, field visits and group project work.

Examination

Examination 1:

• Form of assessment: Group project and presentation

• Proportion: 40 %

• Duration: Submitted on the Friday of the week long seminar

• Grouping: Group (but including individual peer assessment)

• Grading scale: Letter (A - F)

• Support material: References provided in the coursework guidance and lectures

Examination 2:

• Form of assessment: Home assessment without presentation

• Proportion: 60 %

• Duration: Submitted on the Wednesday following the week long seminar.

• Grouping: Individually

• Grading scale: Letter (A - F)

• Support material: References provided in the coursework guidance and lectures.