Paratransit operations in cities in developing countries play an important role in public transport provision. The operations are run within the realm of the infonnal sector and are highly flexible. There are numerous operators running one or two vehicles on a cash basis. This and other issues contribute to the problems with the services that are provided. Poor reliability and stability in supply are the main problems. Despite these serious problems, there has been little research on possible solutions to resolve them. The present study is aimed at improving understanding of the operation of such systems. It assesses the effects on users and operators of different routing, stopping and scheduling regimes. A new model of paratransit operations is developed. The problem of paratransit operations is conceptualised in terms of interactions between demand and supply. The interactions take place in time and geographical space and are shaped by the actions taken by individual users and individual vehicle operators. The model is designed to overcome some of the restrictions on the definitions of time - and in particular space - that are found in existing methodologies. A modelling approach designed to represent the two dimensions as realistically as possible was adopted. Two techniques are central to the construction of the model. Simulation techniques are used to model the temporal processes and a Geographical Information System (GIS) for the spatial processes. The two are complementary to overcome the inherent weaknesses in either approach. Modules are developed to represent demand and supply at a microscopic level. The Model of Paratransit Services (MOPS) involves interfacing a GIS and external modules for dynamic processes. The model was validated against field data collected in Harare, Zimbabwe. Experiments were run for a case study area and the results that were obtained on routing, stopping and scheduling regimes are reported in developing countries.

Civic spaces are designed in the absence of the people they most greatly impact. Conventional engagement efforts consist of formalities such as community meetings that deny participants the agency of hand-making and are built upon relationships of obligation. This runs contrary to a body of research that positions hand-making and solidarity as elemental to human nature: Matthew Crawford equates explorations of “manual engagement” to existential questioning, 1 and Karl Marx saw collaboration as integral to our “species character.” 2 The potential outcomes of this disconnect are undignified spaces that fail to accommodate the most basic human needs. 3 This thesis offers a model of praxis to challenge this disconnect. Nadia Anderson writes that praxis is focused on “process and action” 4 as opposed to products, while Marx characterized praxis as the union of thinking and social practice. 5 Accordingly, this model of praxis is composed of two parts. First, an engagement toolkit implemented in a real community; and second, an architectural proposal developed alongside a partner organization. In New Orleans, the disconnect between users and the creation of civic space is manifested in public transit. The RTA (Regional Transit Authority) bus system converges at a few critical intersections in the city’s Central Business District. Each day, thousands of riders must transfer at these stops, despite a lack of adequate seating, shade, and other basic amenities. 6 Currently, the RTA is conducting a feasibility study for a downtown transit hub. In partnership with Ride New Orleans, a local advocacy group, this thesis will deploy a community engagement toolkit that will enable transit riders to shape the design a dignified transit hub. / 0 / SPK / specialcollections@tulane.edu

The chosen project stems from the broader context of Maputo as waterfront city. Increased industrial privatisation of the harbour strip adjacent to the city’s historic Baixa district led to the relocation of public functions, away from the downtown water’s edge and so disconnecting city life from the water. The potential of the city reconnecting to the water is thus latent. The dissertation responds to this potential by reintroducing a public program to the waterfront site. The building integrates with a greater urban vision for the precinct, whereby the industrial waterfront strip is reprogrammed with a layer of mixed use functions. A water-borne public transport node is the architectural typology to be explored. The architectural study aims to investigate the consolidation of currently fragmented water transport modes in one facility and so promote integration between different users and the public. Exploration also includes investigation of dualities and contrasts. Interaction between formal and informal trade, water and land transport, and international trends versus local influences are explored. The projected growth of the city further necessitates the expansion and improvement of water transport infrastructure. The proposed interchange connects all public water -borne modes of transport in Maputo, additionally establishing the link between the city and the water, and subsequently the downtown area with satellite suburbs around Maputo Bay. The design acknowledges the historic nature of the site and context, and adds an additional layer whilst responding to the richness of the existing in an environmentally sensitive manner. The social context of Maputo as a capital city in a developing country is another important consideration. The informal, public, transient nature of the context informs the design, juxtaposed against a first world, international business and tourism centre. The facility will aid in the reintegration of the waterfront with the city, effectively connecting it to other modes of transport. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Architecture / unrestricted

The purpose of this research was to investigate the feasibility of a passenger rail service operating on a current rail line in Canterbury, known as the Main North Line, which connects the Waimakariri District to Christchurch. The Main North Line runs through the two main urban areas of the Waimakariri District: Rangiora and Kaiapoi. The need for research into the potential use of the Main North Line for passenger services has arisen due to increasing car congestion on arterial roads between the Waimakariri District and Christchurch. All traffic coming from the Waimakariri District into Christchurch must cross the Waimakariri River, creating a transport bottleneck. An assessment of the location of the Main North Line was conducted with respect to the travel needs of Waimakariri District residents using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to investigate how far residents live and work from the line and resident surveys to determine whether people would use rail as their main mode of travel into Christchurch. Assessment of the infrastructure was with regard to the locations of potential railways stations and the capabilities of the infrastructure for supporting different levels of passenger service. National and regional transport strategies are placing more importance on the transportation of people and freight by way of rail. A potential rail service for Canterbury will therefore likely include national and regional stakeholders in co-operation with a private service operator, as currently occurs in Wellington and Auckland. An average of 71% of Waimakariri District residents stated they would switch to rail as their main mode of transport for the journey into Christchurch. GIS analysis found that the number of journeys which start in the Waimakariri District and terminate within 1km of Christchurch stations is around 610 which increases to around 4,300 if connecting bus services were utilised in Christchurch.

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The implementation of new public transport networks, such as the Gautrain, present new responsibilities and opportunities for urban development. Mega projects like these are constructed for various economical, social and political reasons. These underlying orders beg a necessary question when defining the architectural program required for the integration of the stations and there relative contexts. Integration is a key narrative for the exploration and enquiry of this thesis. The new Gautrain system should connect with existing and future transport systems, social systems and other contextual realities. Another question raised throughout the theoretical enquiry of this thesis is; to what extent does this connection and integration occur at the recently completed Gautrain stations? The idea of creating ‘Gateways’ into a city, rather than mere station ‘posts’ is explored as an architectural narrative. These ‘Gateways’ become the introductory point for commuters and an opportunity to create an experiential dimension relating to ‘the image of a city’ and its ‘zeitgeist’. Pretoria Station was chosen due the many layers of integration intrinsic to the site. This opportunity is available due to the existence of neo‐classical buildings within the immediate and macro context. Here the application of a contemporary, 21st century piece may create a representation of the progression of architectural and sociological thinking, relating to city building and transportation. This site also offers opportunities for exploring the integration of existing and future transport networks due to the existence of several of transport modes. Theories of city building and ‘placemaking’ are explored as a requirement borne out of the neglect for this site as it has developed through the modern era.

Informal public transport (IPT) has emerged as an adaptive alternative to formal public transport in developing countries. The informal public transport service has both positive and negative impacts on the wellbeing of urban dwellers. As such, there are varying discourses on whether IPT should be considered an urban resource or a problem. The impact of urban growth in terms of population increase and urban spatial sprawl creates public transport challenges in developing countries. It is against this backdrop that this study explored the perceptions of informal public transport stakeholders on the quality of service (QoS) experienced in the City of Ibadan, Nigeria. A pragmatist philosophical approach is adopted in this study in order to explore the stakeholders' perceptions of the QoS of IPT in Ibadan. A convergent mixed methods research design was employed to explore the set objectives seeking to understand how the impact of urban growth in Ibadan has developed a demand for public transport, more so against the backdrop of the diminished public investment in transport services and infrastructure. The study seeks to identify and explore stakeholders' perceptions on the established IPT in Ibadan. The study developed a multi-criteria evaluation model to explore and analyse such perceptions on QoS on identified three Local Government Authorities (LGAs) in Ibadan. The identified issues are discussed using culture sensitisation of governance in the context of Ibadan and reflecting such perceptions against the ideals for individuals and public. Findings from the study reveal mixed stakeholders' perceptions. The descriptive analysis and narratives of the stakeholders reveal that some of the criteria are positively perceived. The application of the Kruskal Wallis Analysis for variability across the three studied local authorities reveal that there is insignificant influence of the socioeconomic characteristics of the users on perceptions of IPT. However, an analysis of individual criteria established in the multi-criteria evaluation model reveals a low users' perceptions of the QoS provided by IPT users. The study concludes that the positive perceptions attributed by users of the IPT, despite its otherwise poor QoS, is explained by the fact that the use of IPT in Ibadan is not out of public choice but a necessity given that there is no other alternative mode of public transport. Consequently, the study concludes that perceptions of informal public transport relate to the impact on individuals and public wellbeing. This is alternative thought from discourses that perceive urban growth in terms of population growth and physical spatial sprawl to the shift towards explaining the impact of urban growth and need for transport in terms of public wellbeing. Following on to this, the study draws a recommendation for a transport policy and practice developed from the nexus of the regulatory state, the informal transport sector and the users of informal transport driven by the view that informal transport is a key contributor to public wellbeing in cities of the developing world. Thus, the IPT should be sensitised as a permanent and 'formal' element for the City of Ibadan and not perceived as illegal and targeted for withdrawal from the urban.

The aim of this paper is to guarantee improved quality of life for inhabitants by modelling the network of public transport routes in Vilnius. To achieve the aim of the paper, the following tasks were formulated: • analysis of measures of modelling the public transport passenger flows, as well as analysis their function, • establish the main criteria of the public transport’s modelling in Vilnius, • modelling of the public transport route networks in accordance with the established criteria, • assessment of the influence of speedy trams on the distribution of passenger flows within the public transport of Vilnius, • proposals on the possibilities of application of the public transport modelling criteria for other Lithuanian towns.

The aim of this paper is to guarantee improved quality of life for inhabitants by modelling the network of public transport routes in Vilnius. To achieve the aim of the paper, the following tasks were formulated: • analysis of measures of modelling the public transport passenger flows, as well as analysis their function, • establish the main criteria of the public transport’s modelling in Vilnius, • modelling of the public transport route networks in accordance with the established criteria, • assessment of the influence of speedy trams on the distribution of passenger flows within the public transport of Vilnius, • proposals on the possibilities of application of the public transport modelling criteria for other Lithuanian towns.

This thesis investigated the links between public transport use and sociodemographic and land use factors. A dataset of address information about regular bus smartcard users was sourced. These addresses were geocoded using Geographical Information Systems, and the address points derived through this process were used to calculate the percentage of regular bus users in Census meshblock spatial areas. This percentage was then compared to a number of different factors, including deprivation levels (a measure of sociodemographic status), average distance to the nearest bus stop and bus route, and a number of variables from the New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings, using a number of forms of analysis. The number of cardholders in different residential zonings was assessed, along with the average number of trips taken per day by cardholders. Results indicate that there was a relationship between the regular Metrocard users and deprivation, and regular Metrocard users and land use, however the statistical validity of these relationships was low. Principal component analysis and regression analysis were carried out to assess what variables best explained the proportion of bus use. It was found that the presence of International Students in an area accounted for the biggest variation in the levels of bus use, along with people who were Unemployed and of Maori or Pacific ethnicity, and people who have limited access to vehicles. However, the statistical validity of these results was again low.