In an effort to shift reliance away from single-occupancy vehicles, many cities have been investing in active and public transportation, and promoting multi-modal travel. It has been recognized both academically and professionally that there is a need to address issues regarding access to transit stations and nodes – the ‘first mile problem.’ Many see bicycles as the answer to the first mile problem; however, scholarly literature has generally neglected exploring how to accommodate bicycles at different stations. This practicum investigates the first mile problem in Edmonton, Alberta, and identifies existing challenges with bicycle access to Edmonton’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) system. The findings suggest three distinct LRT ‘station types’, each requiring a nuanced suite of infrastructure improvements in order to encourage more bicycle access. Further, these improvements can only be realized through the development and execution of comprehensive policies and regulations that support cycling and bike-transit integration. / October 2016

Driverless vehicles might fundamentally change the transport system in multiple ways. Reducing driver costs in mobility services could create opportunities for new mobility concepts. Research on driverless vehicles have previously concentrated on urban areas, though driverless vehicles in rural areas could have greater positive effects. Hence, the aim of the study is to see how driverless vehicles can be used in rural areas to contribute to a more sustainable transport system. Three rural mobility concepts for driverless vehicles are developed and by applying these to different case locations, the feasibility of the concepts is discussed. Interviews with local actors in Sweden were conducted to learn about general and local challenges with specific case locations. What rural mobility concept for driverless vehicles to use depends on access to public transport, distance to main roads and spatial density of travel demand. A modelling approach of a first and last mile feeder service is used to evaluate the feasibility of this mobility concept further. Model results show that driverless shuttles can feed travel demands of 100-150 passengers daily and still perform alternative tasks. Even though rural areas have general challenges, local issues also need consideration to optimize the benefits of the services. Public transport authorities are experts on local challenges and could take more responsibility in questions regarding driverless vehicles. For instance, flexibility, accessibility and equality could be improved by merging routes and shorten travel times for entire bus routes. Furthermore, other societal functions can be developed by reinvesting capital in other areas.

<p>The aim of this study is to find out the dynamics of rice supply chains and their impacts on the small-scale rice producer in Magugu village. The problem addressed in this study is the changes in the food trading paradigm and how it is shaping power relations at a local level. The empirical material in this study has been collected during a fieldtrip to the Babati district in Tanzania from the 25th of February to the 19th of March (2008). The First Mile Project (FMP) in Tanzania had the purpose to teach farmers how to build more equal and efficient supply chains and linking the producer to the consumer. A comparison between a regular rice supply chain and one involved in the FMP was made to explore how the two was forming in the changing food trade paradigm and how the farmers were adapting to this fact. Several methods were employed in this study. These include: case study method, qualitative methods, and secondary data. The results in this study was analysed with the use of the Global Value Chain (GVC) analysis and the Network theory. The conclusion was that depending on how the networks and the power relations within them, actors in the leading position in the GVC determines how the product is going to be: produced, processed, and marketed, at what time and to what price and establish requirements of the GVC. The rice farmers involved in the FMP were the once most able to adapt to the requirements of the GVC and food trading paradigm because of the cooperation among the group and good relations with other actors along the supply chain.</p>

The aim of this study is to find out the dynamics of rice supply chains and their impacts on the small-scale rice producer in Magugu village. The problem addressed in this study is the changes in the food trading paradigm and how it is shaping power relations at a local level. The empirical material in this study has been collected during a fieldtrip to the Babati district in Tanzania from the 25th of February to the 19th of March (2008). The First Mile Project (FMP) in Tanzania had the purpose to teach farmers how to build more equal and efficient supply chains and linking the producer to the consumer. A comparison between a regular rice supply chain and one involved in the FMP was made to explore how the two was forming in the changing food trade paradigm and how the farmers were adapting to this fact. Several methods were employed in this study. These include: case study method, qualitative methods, and secondary data. The results in this study was analysed with the use of the Global Value Chain (GVC) analysis and the Network theory. The conclusion was that depending on how the networks and the power relations within them, actors in the leading position in the GVC determines how the product is going to be: produced, processed, and marketed, at what time and to what price and establish requirements of the GVC. The rice farmers involved in the FMP were the once most able to adapt to the requirements of the GVC and food trading paradigm because of the cooperation among the group and good relations with other actors along the supply chain.

Στόχος της παρούσας διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η μελέτη τηλεπικοινωνιακής κίνησης και η αποτίμηση της επίδοσης OCDMA δικτύων ως προς την πιθανότητα φραγής κλήσης. Αρχικά γίνεται αναφορά στην εξέλιξη και τις ιδιότητες των οπτικών ινών και των οπτικών δικτύων. Στη συνέχεια περιγράφονται τα χαρακτηριστικά και οι ιδιότητες των OCDMA συστημάτων. Ακολούθως χρησιμοποιούνται αναλυτικά μοντέλα, τα οποία υλοποιούνται στη γλώσσα προγραμματισμού C, για τον υπολογισμό των πιθανοτήτων φραγής κλήσης σε συγκεκριμένα οπτικά δίκτυα στα οποία υφίσταται μία υπηρεσία (service class). Τα αποτελέσματα των μεθόδων ανάλυσης συγκρίνονται με τα αποτελέσματα της αντίστοιχης προσομοίωσης που υλοποιείται με χρήση της γλώσσας προσομοίωσης SIMSCRIPT ΙΙ.5. Τέλος, η προναφερθείσα διαδικασία πραγματοποιείται για οπτικά δίκτυα πρόσβασης υπό την παρουσία πολλών υπηρεσιών και επιπρόσθετων ειδών θορύβου. / The objective of this thesis is the study of telecommunications traffic and the progress evaluation of OCDMA networks. In the first place,my essay starts with presentation of optical fiber technology.At the second chapter we focus on the characteristics of OCDMA systems.Finally,using analytical models,we calculate the blocking probabilities in certain optical networks that support one service class. The analytical results are compared with the relevant simulation results. Moreover,the above procedure applies for optical access networks with many service classes plus extra kinds of additive noise.

Fast fashion and over consumption within the textile industry has led to a serious depletion of natural resources. The current rate of population growth and consumption is unsustainable. In result, there is a growing interested in sustainable solutions, one of which is reverse supply chains. Infrastructures for recycling textile fibers are being researched and developed. At the same time, it is important to put a focus on also developing the infrastructures for textile recollection. When examining a forward supply chain, the last mile, or point of distribution to the final consumer, can be considered the most costly when it comes to logistics costs. As a result, within a reverse supply chain the point of textile recollection, or the “first mile” as defined by the authors, can also be considered problematic in terms of logistical costs. Cirqle is a Swedish based app using ICT to aide in the recollection of used textiles, by offering app users rewards (discounts) for used textile returns at specific retailers. Through gathering specific information about app users, ICT companies such as Cirqle, are key to optimizing reverse supply chains, and in result, aiding in the reduction of the “first mile problem”. Due to the research gap identified by the authors, the purpose of this thesis is to explore how a digital infrastructure for collecting used garments, such as the Cirqle App, can be used to optimize location‟s for collection points; therefore minimizing the first mile problem of reverse logistics in the textile industry.