General
Welcome to the Traffic Flow Theory course!
The course belongs to the elective courses of the Master's Program in Spatial Planning and Transportation Engineering.
The course is intended for Master's and PhD students and it is offered in English.
Learning outcomes
After successful completion of the course, a student is able to:
- Describe the main characteristics of traffic flow
- Represent traffic phenomena using different methods and tools
- Recognise how traffic congestion starts and propagates for different transport modes
- Select and apply appropriate methods and techniques for analysing traffic-related problems
- Interpret and elaborate different types of traffic data
- Follow scientific literature on traffic flow theory
Course content
The course contents include:
- Introduction to Traffic Flow Theory
- The time-space diagram
- Fundamental variables and cumulative plots
- Fundamental diagram
- Shockwave theory
- Dynamic macroscopic models
- Dynamic microscopic model
- Capacity and Level of Service
- Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (or Network Fundamental Diagram)
- Pedestrian flow theory
- Future of traffic flow theory
Practicalities
News regarding the course will be posted here in myCourses, within the Announcements Forum. Please, make sure you receive notifications when new messages are posted.
The course is taking place in person. There are several interactive activities, thus presence in (most of) the sessions is of paramount importance. We are going to share all necessary material here in MyCourses, which is aimed at supporting, but not replacing, your learning activities. In case you miss some sessions, feel free to contact the teachers so that we can find a way to better support your learning.