Conference programme
Saturday, September 20
Welcome reception buffet at Göteborg Convention Centre (Svenska Mässan) for academic workshop participants and other conference participants arriving early.
19.00-22.00 Welcome reception
Sunday, September 21
09.00-17.30 Academic workshop (see separate programme).
19.00-22.00 Welcome reception and conference registration.
Monday, September 22
Conference opening
09.00-09.15 Opening of the conference
Dr hc Arne Wittlöv, Chairman of the Board of Volvo Research and Educational Foundations (VREF), Göteborg, Sweden
09.15-09.45 Presentation of outcome of previous conference and ongoing activities supported by VREF Prof. Bengt Kasemo, Chairman of the Scientific Council of VREF, Göteborg, Sweden
09.45-10.00 Prof. Emin Tengström, member of the Scientific Council of VREF, Göteborg, Sweden"On the words complex and complexity and their use during the conference"
10.00-10.30 Coffee break
Session 1
Analytical perspectives on the complexity of urban transport
Moderator: Prof. Nicholas Low, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Some examples of complex urban transport situations and their socio-historical background will be analysed. Snapshots of real situations and problems will be presented including the original situation, the present situation and expected developments in different cities. As various problems of local urban transportation are interlinked in a complex way, the speakers will give analyses of this complexity in the urban and local context. There will be time for short questions after each presentation. The session concludes with brief comments on what is general and what is specific in the chosen examples.
10.30-11.00 Dr Paul Mees, University of Melbourne, Australia: "A comparison of the urban transport systems in Melbourne and Toronto"
11.00-11.30 Ms Andi Rahmah, Pelangi, Indonesia: "The application of a Western urban transport system in Jakarta"
11.30-12.00 Mr Hans Örn, CoE Contrans, Göteborg, Sweden: "Urban public transport in an international perspective using Kingstone, Jamaica as a case study"
12.00-12.30 Summary
12.30-14.00 Lunch at Göteborg Convention Centre
Session 2
Analytical perspectives on the attempts of various actors to find solutions to the complexity
Moderator: Prof. Nicholas Low, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
This session is dedicated to descriptions of attempts to promote a positive development trend within urban transport identifying factors such as historical decisions, local traditions and innovative capabilities. Both examples of success stories and examples of failures will be used in order to provide knowledge of different perspectives. There will be time for short questions after each presentation.
14.00-14.30 Prof. Robert Cervero, College of Environmental Design, University of California, Berkeley, USA: "Progress in coping with complex urban transport problems in the USA"
14.30-15.00 Mr José-Luis Samaniego-Leyva, Director of the Center for Sustainable Transport for México City, Mexico: "Examples of positive changes of complex urban transport problems in Mexico"
15.00-15.30 Dr Vinand Nantulya, Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, USA: "Examples of positive changes of complex urban transport problems in Africa"
15.30-16.00 Coffee break
16.00-16.30 Dr Geetam Tiwari, Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Programme (TRIPP), Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India: "Self organising Systems and Innovations in Urban Transports in Asia"
16.30-17.00 Prof. John Whitelegg, John Moores University in Liverpool, Liverpool, UK: "Examples of positive changes of complex urban transport problems in Europe"
17.00-17.30 Summary
18.30-19.45 Social activities
20.00-22.00 Dinner at Liseberg Park Keynote speaker: Mr Hans-Olov Olsson, President and CEO Volvo Car Corporation, Göteborg, Sweden
Tuesday, September 23
Session 3
The complex change process as understood by some important actors
Moderator: Prof. Harry Dimitriou, The Bartlett, Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London, London, UK.
The theme is how dominant actors in different parts of the world have acted to influence the complex problems of urban transport and how they have acted to initiate processes leading to successful implementation of chosen solutions, processes not characterised by interaction failures. During the same session, actors representing industry, finance and the environment will present their views.
08.30-09.00 Prof. Arne Kaijser, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden: "How to describe large technical systems and their changes over time"
09.00-09.30 Mr John Flora, The World Bank, Transport and Urban Development Departure, Washington DC, USA: "The role of finance in meeting the challenges of complex urban transport"
09.30-10.00 Mr Narusava, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Tokyo, Japan: "Successful actions to meet the challenges of complex urban transport in Japan"
10.00-10.30 Coffee break
10.30-11.00 Mr Markus Liechti, European Federation of Transport and Environment, Brussels, Belgium: "Successful actions to meet the challenges of complex urban transport in Europe"
11.00-11.30 Director Ethan Seltzer, Portland State University, Portland, USA and Mr. Andrew Cotugno, Director of Transportation and Growth Management Planning at Metro, Portland, Oregon, USA: "Successful actions to meet the challenges of complex urban transport in Portland, Oregon, USA"
11.30-12.00 Mr Leif Johansson, President of AB Volvo and CEO of the Volvo Group, Sweden: "Facing challenges of urban transport"
12.00-12.30 Prof. Arne Kaiser, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden: "Some comments of the presentations in the light of the theory of large technical systems"
12.30-14.00 Lunch at Göteborg Convention Centre
Session 4
How to cope with the complexity of urban transport development? A general debate
Moderator: Professor Harry Dimitriou, The Bartlett, Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London, London, UK.
The members of the audience are invited to express their views on how the complexity of urban transport development should and can be handled within different political and cultural contexts throughout the world.
14.00-14.15 Introduction by Prof. Harry Dimitriou
14.15-15.30 Open general discussion
15.30-16.00 Coffee break
16.00-17.00 Open general discussion, cont.
17.00-17.15 Summary by Prof. Harry Dimitriou
19.00-22.00 Dinner at The City Hall (Börsen)
Wednesday, September 24
Session 5
How do we proceed from here?
Moderators: Dr hc Arne Wittlöv and Prof. Bengt Kasemo.
The participants are invited to discuss the future activities of the Future Urban Transport programme and air the possibility of creating a worldwide network of analysts and actors (political, financial, industrial and non-governmental organisations) to promote urban transport development. Following this, some examples of studies already financed by Volvo Research and Educational Foundations will be presented. At the end of the conference, there will be a final opportunity for the participants to influence future activities, for instance by suggesting topics for the next Future Urban Transport conference.
09.00-09.15 Introduction by Dr hc Arne Wittlöv describing the objectives of the Future Urban Transport programme and some ideas on how to proceed.
09.15-10.10 Open debate about the Future Urban Transport programme and the creation of an international network within the Future Urban Transport area.
10.10-10.40 Coffee break
10.40-11.20 Centre of Excellence presentation (India)
11.20-11.40 Research project presentation by Dr Marie Thynell, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden
11.40-12.00 Research project presentation by Prof. Hass Clau, ETP, Brighton, UK: "Economic Impact of Light Rail Investments in Europe"
12.00-12.30 Some final ideas about how to proceed from the participants and a concluding statement by Dr hc Arne Wittlöv.
12.30-14.00 Lunch at Göteborg Convention Centre
End of conference