Geography of Transports and Communications

Code: GEO13350L

3 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/78 hours

Scientific Area: Geography

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese, English

Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Sustainable Development Goals

Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

Learning Goals

This curricular unit seeks to initiate students in the geography of transports and communications, emphasizing the importance they have for the organization and development of territory, as well as for transformations in terms of mobility.
Knowledge:
1. Discuss the importance of transports and communications in contemporary societies and in the future;
2. To know the theories, concepts and instruments of analysis that allow to understand the organization of the territory, the development of networks, infrastructures and mobilities;
3. Assess the social, economic and environmental impacts of changes in transport and communications systems.
Skills and competences:
4. Deftly manage the terminology and concepts associated with the geography of transports and communications;
5. Analyze transport networks and/or communications, using graph theory;
6. Develop individual, teamwork and communication skills for learning outcomes.

1. Transport, communications and geography
1.1. Transports, economy, society and the environment
1.2. Theories of territorial organization: networks and infrastructures
2. Geography of transports
2.1. Transports and territories: characteristics, modes and contexts
2.2. Evolution and distribution of transports in Portugal and worldwide
2.3. Urban transports, mobility and accessibility
3. Geography of communications
3.1. Evolution of communications: dynamics and infrastructure
3.2. ICT, Internet and digital economy
4. Challenges for the future of transport and communications
4.1.Politics, governance and network management
4.2 Spatial planning and territorial impacts

Teaching Methods

This course will be provided by a teacher with a background in human geography and a diverse set of invited speakers, experts of recognized merit in the area of transports and communications, who will hold five thematic sessions. In this way, it is possible to offer the students a plurality of perspectives that enriches their educational process. In addition to an individual theoretical and practical test, students will have to develop a portfolio consisting of five individual reflections and a practical group work. The importance of the seminars in this curricular unit stems from the need to demonstrate to students that this is one of the scientific areas of geography that has a more evident applied and practical component. It is hoped that the seminars will be able to bring a diverse range of speakers, with different professional experiences and institutional frameworks, thus stimulating the students' intellectual curiosity.