The Urban Freight Transportation System faces many uncertainties and challenges in its future development. In the discussion regarding how to mitigate the challenges, the implementation of Urban Hubs is often brought up. However, most of the literature that exists within the field focuses on the logistic system as a whole, rather than the actual hubs specifically. The research gap regarding how Urban Hubs should be designed in order to be efficient with regards to multiple future scenarios, but also easy to adapt once so is needed, has been targeted throughout this study. The importance of robustness and adaptiveness has been underlined, and these concepts have in turn been linked to modularization, and the use of future scenario frameworks, respectively. This study has resulted in a proposed framework for constructing robust Urban Hubs, which was obtained by adapting a modularization framework, and integrating a future scenario framework for Urban Freight Transportation. The proposed framework has an extensive evaluation process, incorporating both Customer Values and future scenarios in the metrics, thus shedding extra light on this part of the construction process. The proposed framework was also tested in the study, through constructing and evaluating four different hub configurations, spanning from small to large, in order to determine which hub that performed best in the largest number of scenarios. The evaluation results could in turn contribute with indications as to what characterizes such a Hub configuration. In order to be able to construct the proposed framework, an understanding of Urban Hubs' layouts, functionalities included, and flow of goods, had to be obtained. This was done through conducting interviews with relevant stakeholders connected to Swedish Urban Hubs. Through the interviews, similarities and differences between Swedish Urban Hubs could be identified, thereby describing how the Swedish Urban Hub landscape looks today. Since the literature describing Urban Hubs is scarce, the study thus contributes towards filling that research gap as well. / Hållbara urbana godstransportssystem står inför många osäkerheter och utmaningar under sin fortsatta utveckling. I diskussionen kring hur dessa utmaningar ska kunna mildras, nämns ofta implementationen av Urbana Hubbar. Den existerande litteraturen inom området fokuserar dock mest på hela logistiksystemet, snarare än de Urbana Hubbarna specifikt. Avsaknaden inom forskningen vad gäller hur Urbana Hubbar bör bli designade i syfte att både vara robusta med avseende på flera olika framtidsscenarion och samtidigt även lätt kunna anpassas när så krävs, är vad denna studie har syftat till att undersöka. Vikten av både robusthet och möjligheten att anpassa sig har blivit underbyggd i studien, och koncepten har i sin tur kopplats till modularisering, respektive användandet av ramverk för framtidsscenarion. Studien resulterade i ett föreslaget ramverk för att konstruera robusta Urbana Hubbar, vilket erhölls genom att anpassa ett modulariseringsramverk, och integrera det tillsammans med ett ramverk för framtidsscenarion inom Urbana Godstransporter. Det föreslagna ramverket innefattar en omfattande evalueringsprocess, som både har integrerat Kundvärden och scenariospecifika parametrar i sina mått, och därmed tydligt visar på vikten av denna del under konstruktionsprocessen.  Det föreslagna ramverket testades dessutom i studien, genom att kontruera och utvärdera fyra olika hubbkonfigurationer, som tillsammans spände upp en rymd från mindre konfigurationer till större, mer komplexa varianter. Detta för att kunna fastställa vilken av dem som presterade bäst i flest scenarion. Resultaten från utvärderingen kunde i sin tur bidra med indikationer på vad som karaktäriserar en sådan hubbkonfiguration. För att kunna konstruera det föreslagna ramverket, krävdes djup förståelse för Urbana Hubbars layout, vilka funktionaliteter de innefattar, samt hur processflödet inuti hubbarna går till. Detta erhölls genom intervjuer med relevanta aktörer som var kopplade till svenska Urbana Hubbar. Genom intervjuerna kunde likheter och skillnader mellan svenska Urbana Hubbar identifieras, och från det kunde en kartläggning över svenska Urbana Hubbar göras. Eftersom litteraturen som beskriver Urbana Hubbar är knapp, bidrar studien dämred även till att fylla det forskningsgapet inom området.

Multi-service transport hubs provide a potential opportunity to achieve sustainability and emission goals and have been in contemporary research and policy discussions, however, mostly in the passenger transport sector. In Urban logistics, the delivery vehicles leaving a warehouse or a consolidation centre entering the city to deliver goods are usually filled to a certain capacity during their onward journey and when the goods are delivered, they return mostly empty during their return journey. In Urban waste management, the waste collection vehicles leaving from a waste collection centre into the city are almost empty during the onward journey and are filled to a certain capacity during their return journey, which is the opposite. To address this underutilized capacity issue, in 2017, in the city of Stockholm, a new type of Urban logistics hub was created through the Älskade Stad initiative which combined the urban logistics flows with the urban waste management flows reducing the number of vehicles required and reducing the empty space in the vehicles during both the onward and return journeys. This type of hub consolidates deliveries acting as an urban consolidation centre and also consolidates wastes, acting as a waste management centre. Due to the central nature of the hub, it can also include other services. The study coins a new term called ‘Cologistics Hub’ for this type of hub and investigates the scenarios in which Cologistics hubs are required and then builds the business models suitable for these scenarios and for maximum scalability. It identifies different types of stakeholders that can be part of the Cologistics hub ecosystem. Along with this, the study analyses different types of flows involved in a Cologistics hub, maps the business ecosystem, and identifies added values for all types of identified stakeholders in the ecosystem. In addition to this, this study analyses the perception of Cologistics hubs among the identified stakeholders and compares how the stakeholders perceive their current business-as-usual solution for urban logistics and waste management versus the Cologistics hub solution. In the end, the study provides a step-by-step strategy to follow using different conceptual frameworks used in this research for implementing a scalable Cologistics hub solution.

This project examines the concept of computer hubs as a tool to increase technological inclusion in rural areas in lowincome countries. The viability of computer hubs as a concept was evaluated by looking at three factors among people living in such areas: acceptance of computers, the financial viability of computer hubs, and actual ease of use of computers. The study was conducted in Linga Linga, a small village located in the province of Morrumbene in southern Mozambique. Linga Linga is characterized by low technological inclusion and low income, which is typical for villages in rural areas in lowincome countries. Interviews, questionnaires, workshops and focus groups were conducted to examine the viability of computer hubs. The study indicates that the acceptance of computers, measured through attitude towards computers as well as perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of computers, was sufficient for implementation. The study also concludes that the actual ease is sufficiently high, and even in cases where it is not due to a lack of previous experience with computers, the time it takes to learn is low. In addition, it was found that computer hubs are financially viable from a business perspective. In conclusion, computer hubs can be considered a viable approach to increase technological inclusion in rural areas in low-income countries. / Projektet undersöker konceptet computer hubs och hur det kan användas som ett verktyg för att öka teknologisk inkludering på landsbygden i låginkomstländer. Konceptet utvärderades genom att undersöka tre faktorer: användaracceptansen för datorer, computer hubs finansiella hållbarhet och den faktiska användbarheten hos datorer. Studien genomfördes i Linga Linga, en by belägen i provinsen Morrumbene i södra Moçambique. Linga Linga kännetecknas av låg teknologisk inkludering och invånare med låga eller inga inkomster. Intervjuer, frågeformulär, seminarium och fokusgrupper genomfördes för att undersöka konceptens genomförbarhet. Studien indikerar att användaracceptansen hos datorer, mätt genom attityd gentemot datorer såväl som upplevd användbarhet och upplevd användarvänlighet för datorer, var tillräcklig för implementering. Studien visar även att den faktiska användbarheten hos datorer är tillräckligt hög för implementering samt att den snabbt kan förbättras trots lite eller ingen tidigare erfarenhet av datorer. Studien visar även att en implementering av computer hubs är ekonomiskt hållbar ur ett affärsperspektiv. Sammanfattningsvis kan implementeringen av computer hubs som koncept betraktas som ett  hållbart tillvägagångssätt för att öka teknologisk inkludering i landsbygden i låginkomstländer.

Perifera platser kan möta utmaningar när det kommer till att locka till sig turister. Museer är en viktig samlingsplats i samhället, både för lokalbefolkningen och för turismen. Som förvaltare av kultur kan museer agera som kulturella hubbar och bli en katalysator för en hållbar utveckling i samhället. Syftet med uppsatsen är att få en djupare förståelse för hur utskott från större museum på perifera platser kan bidra till att samhällen frodas. Metoden för uppsatsen är en fallstudie där Nationalmuseums utskott på Jamtli Jämtlands läns museum i Östersund, Nationalmuseum Jamtli, står i fokus. Genom kvalitativa intervjuer med respondenter från Jamtli, Region Jämtland Härjedalen, Östersunds kommun och Designcentrum har undersökningens primära empiri samlats in. En analys av dokument kopplade till Nationalmuseum Jamtli har fungerat som komplement till intervjuerna. Den insamlade empirin togs fram genom att göra en tematisk analys. Resultatet tyder på att Nationalmuseum Jamtli är en unik resurs som kan stärka kulturen inom Jämtlands län och bidra till utvecklingen av en kulturell hubb. Dock finns det flera utmaningar med att bilda en kulturell hubb med hjälp av Nationalmuseum Jamtli och det krävs att Jamtli arbetar mer kring samverkan, utveckling av aktiviteter och Jamtlis kulturutbud. / Peripheral places can face challenges when it comes to attracting tourists. Museums are an important gathering place in society, both for the local population and for tourism. As trustees of culture, museums can act as cultural hubs and become catalysts for sustainable development in society. The purpose of this thesis is to gain a deeper understanding of how larger museums can contribute to societal flourishing by establishing outpost museums in peripheral locations. The method for the essay is a case study where the National Museum's outpost museum at Jamtli Museum in Östersund, National Museum Jamtli, is in focus. Through qualitative interviews with respondents from Jamtli, Region Jämtland Härjedalen, Östersund municipality and Designcentrum. An analysis of documents linked to the National Museum Jamtli has been done as a supplement to the interviews. The collected empirical evidence was analysed using a thematic analysis. The results indicate that National Museum Jamtli is a unique resource that can strengthen Jämtland’s culture and contribute to the development of a cultural hub. However, there are several challenges with forming a cultural hub with the help of National Museum Jamtli and it is required that Jamtli work more on collaboration, development of activities and Jamtli's cultural offerings. / <p>2024-05-29</p>

O objetivo desta Tese é a proposição de uma metodologia alternativa para planejamento de transportes que contempla as ferramentas disponíveis na ciência do sensoriamento remoto. A perspectiva adotada analisa aspectos do planejamento de transportes urbanos, tendo como embasamento os dados e informações advindos das imagens de satélite com alto poder de resolução espacial. A metodologia usa a abordagem baseada em objetos para classificar imagens de satélite de sensoriamento remoto. Através do processo de classificação, identificam-se feições urbanas úteis para o planejamento de transporte, em especial áreas de concentração de polos geradores de viagens do município de João Pessoa no estado da Paraíba, Brasil. A proposta é que com base nesses dados, e outros provenientes de uma pesquisa de campo (pesquisa domiciliar origem/destino), é possível caracterizar o uso do solo e a correspondente demanda por transportes. O estudo se justifica por propor uma alternativa mais ágil e menos onerosa, em comparação aos métodos tradicionais de construção e atualização da base de dados para análises de transportes. Ao identificar as regiões da cidade com as maiores quantidades de viagens geradas, os resultados obtidos auxiliam nas ações de planejamento do sistema de transportes, visando alcançar o equilíbrio entre oferta e demanda de transporte com o uso do solo urbano. / The objective of this Thesis is to propose an alternative method of transportation planning that considers the tools available in the science of remote sensing. The perspective adopted examines aspects of urban transportation planning, having as basis the data and information coming from satellite images with high spatial resolution. The methodology uses the object-based approach to classify remote sensing satellite imagery. Through the classification process, urban features useful for transportation planning are identified, mainly areas of concentration of trip generation in the city of João Pessoa, state of Paraíba, Brazil. The proposal is that, based on these data, and others from a field research (origin/destination home-interview survey), it is possible to characterize the land use and the corresponding demand for transport. The study is justified because it proposes a more agile and less costly alternative, compared to traditional methods of building and updating the database for transport analysis. By identifying areas of the city with the largest amounts of trips generated, the results support planning actions on the transportation system, in order to achieve a balance between transport supply and demand with urban land use.

Thesis (MComm (Logistics))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / One of the results of globalisation is that supply chains are getting longer, in both time and distance. For example, the local bookstore around the corner now competes with the bookstore in the USA. Logistics ties together geographically distant sources and markets. The implications of this are that there is a greater need for efficiency in specifically transportation and distribution networks. The integration of transport infrastructure into a logistics hub is seen as an enabler of distribution on a global basis. A solution to overcome the above complications is the development of logistics hubs as a means to simplify supply chain processes. Logistics hubs are generally defined as integrated centres for transhipment, storage, collection and distribution of goods (Jorgenson, 2007). Universally logistics hubs have intermodal or multi-modal solutions to abridge transportation difficulties and creating seamless movement of goods and in doing so optimising general operations. Freight shipments now have the ability to be consolidated at a central point and distributed from that point to its final destination. This creates added value for freight products. Customers now receive products at the right time, at the right place and in the right quantity, but with the benefit of paying less as a result of economies of scale created by the value added at the logistics hub. Logistics hubs are very well established internationally and many examples exist where these have been successfully built and implemented. This does not suggest that there is one specific recipe to success. Each region has its own demands which need to be satisfied. There are however numerous common characteristics which were identified during the course of the study. It is important for South Africa to integrate existing transport infrastructure to optimise logistics in the country and in doing so, ascertaining itself as a regional logistics hub.

This thesis describes how transmission of the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic in the United States varied geographically, with emphasis on population distribution and age structure. This is made possible by the availability of medical claims records maintained in the private sector that capture the weekly incidence of influenza-like illness in 834 US cities. First, a probabilistic method is developed to infer each city's outbreak onset time. This reveals a clear wave-like pattern of transmission originating in the south-eastern US. Then, a mechanistic mathematical model is constructed to describe the between-city transmission of the epidemic. A model selection procedure reveals that transmission to a city is modulated by its population size, surrounding population density, and possibly by students mixing in schools. Geographic variation in transmissibility is explored further by nesting a latent Gaussian process within the mechanistic transmission model, revealing a possible region of elevated transmissibility in the south-eastern US. Then, using the mechanistic model and a probabilistic back-tracing procedure, the geographic introduction sites (the `transmission hubs') of the outbreak are identified. The transmission hubs of the 2009 pandemic were generally mid-sized cities, contrasting with the conventional perspective that major outbreaks should start in large population centres with high international connectivity. Transmission is traced forward from these hubs to identify `basins of infection', or regions where outbreaks can be attributed with high probability to a particular hub. The city-level influenza data is also separated into 12 age categories. Techniques adapted from signal processing reveal that school-aged children may have been key drivers of the epidemic. Finally, to provide a point of comparison, the procedures described above are applied to the 2003-04 and 2007-08 seasonal influenza outbreaks. Since the 2007-08 outbreak featured three antigenically distinct strains of influenza, it is possible to identify which antigenic strains may have been responsible for infecting each transmission hub. These strains are identified using a probabilistic model that is joined with the geographic transmission model, providing a link between population dynamics and molecular surveillance.

O objetivo desta Tese é a proposição de uma metodologia alternativa para planejamento de transportes que contempla as ferramentas disponíveis na ciência do sensoriamento remoto. A perspectiva adotada analisa aspectos do planejamento de transportes urbanos, tendo como embasamento os dados e informações advindos das imagens de satélite com alto poder de resolução espacial. A metodologia usa a abordagem baseada em objetos para classificar imagens de satélite de sensoriamento remoto. Através do processo de classificação, identificam-se feições urbanas úteis para o planejamento de transporte, em especial áreas de concentração de polos geradores de viagens do município de João Pessoa no estado da Paraíba, Brasil. A proposta é que com base nesses dados, e outros provenientes de uma pesquisa de campo (pesquisa domiciliar origem/destino), é possível caracterizar o uso do solo e a correspondente demanda por transportes. O estudo se justifica por propor uma alternativa mais ágil e menos onerosa, em comparação aos métodos tradicionais de construção e atualização da base de dados para análises de transportes. Ao identificar as regiões da cidade com as maiores quantidades de viagens geradas, os resultados obtidos auxiliam nas ações de planejamento do sistema de transportes, visando alcançar o equilíbrio entre oferta e demanda de transporte com o uso do solo urbano. / The objective of this Thesis is to propose an alternative method of transportation planning that considers the tools available in the science of remote sensing. The perspective adopted examines aspects of urban transportation planning, having as basis the data and information coming from satellite images with high spatial resolution. The methodology uses the object-based approach to classify remote sensing satellite imagery. Through the classification process, urban features useful for transportation planning are identified, mainly areas of concentration of trip generation in the city of João Pessoa, state of Paraíba, Brazil. The proposal is that, based on these data, and others from a field research (origin/destination home-interview survey), it is possible to characterize the land use and the corresponding demand for transport. The study is justified because it proposes a more agile and less costly alternative, compared to traditional methods of building and updating the database for transport analysis. By identifying areas of the city with the largest amounts of trips generated, the results support planning actions on the transportation system, in order to achieve a balance between transport supply and demand with urban land use.