GEOG 80 – Transport Geography

NOTE: The following is an archive of the class material I offered as a Professor at Hofstra University (1999-2024).

Transport geography investigates movements and distribution. Movements of people, goods and information have always been fundamental components of human societies. Contemporary economic processes have been accompanied by a significant increase in mobility and higher levels of accessibility.

Although this trend can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution, it significantly accelerated in the second half of the 20th century as trade was liberalized, economic blocs emerged, and the comparative advantages of global labor and resources were used more efficiently. However, these conditions are interdependent with the capacity to manage, support, and expand the movements of passengers and freight as well as their underlying information flows. Societies have become increasingly dependent on their transport systems to support a wide variety of activities ranging, among others, from commuting and supplying energy needs to distributing parts between factories. Developing transport systems has been a continuous challenge to satisfy mobility needs, support economic development, and participate in the global economy. The general goals of the course are:

• An introduction to theoretical and practical concepts of transport geography.
• Understand the role of transport infrastructures, modes, and policies in the organization of space at the international, regional, and local scales.

NOTE: This course was cross-listed with GS 120 (iGLobalization – Global Transport and Logistics)

PowerPoint Slides

• Topic 1 – Transportation and Geography
• Topic 2 – Transportation and the Spatial Structure
• Topic 3 – Transportation Modes
• Topic 4 – Transportation Terminals
• Topic 5 – International Trade and Freight Distribution
• Topic 6 – Urban Transportation