Topic outline

  • General

    Welcome to the Transport Modelling 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 is offered in English.

    The course is aimed at learning the objectives and roles of models in transportation systems analysis. Moreover, it includes components of Innovation and Entrepreneurship supported by the Aalto Ventures Programme (https://avp.aalto.fi/).


    Learning outcomes

    After successful completion of the course, a student is able to:

    • Justify data collection and management methods and technologies;
    • Apply trip-based, discrete-choice, and activity-based models for transport systems planning;
    • Recognise differences and similarities between different models and approaches used for transport systems planning;
    • Identify needs for transport modelling and related decisions in a multi-user and multi-stakelholder environment;
    • Judge possible solutions to transport-related problems via appropriate transport modelling tools and defend their suitability with an entrepreneurial mindset;
    • Follow scientific literature in transport systems modelling.

    Course content

    The course contents include:

    1. Main concepts of Transport Modelling
    2. Data management
    3. Trip generation
    4. Trip distribution
    5. Modal split
    6. Traffic assignment
    7. User equilibrium vs System optimum
    8. Activity- agent-based modelling
    9. Integrated land-use and transport models
    10. Use of transport modelling in the decision-making context
    11. Analysis methods for research on users and values
    12. Entrepreneurial mindset for well-informed business decisions

    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.

    Except for the first introductory session, which will be exceptionally online, 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.

  • Course schedule

    This is the schedule of the course.

    Date Time Topic
    Monday, January 9 14:00 - 16:00
    		Course Introduction - EXCEPTIONALLY ONLINE
    Thursday, January 12 12:00 - 14:00
    		I&E project introduction
    Friday, January 13 10:00 - 12:00
    		HSL guest lecture - Data surveys
    Monday, January 16 14:00 - 16:00
    		Core topic - Data & networks
    Thursday, January 19 12:00 - 14:00
    		Project workshop & Guest lecture Nobina
    Friday, January 20 10:00 - 12:00
    		Modelling tools
    Monday, January 23 14:00 - 16:00
    		Core topic - Trip generation & Trip distribution
    Thursday, January 26 12:00 - 14:00
    		Project workshop
    Friday, January 27 10:00 - 12:00
    		Modelling tools & Guest lecture Traficom
    Monday, January 30 14:00 - 16:00
    		Core topic - Modal split / discrete choice models
    Thursday, February 2 12:00 - 14:00
    		Project workshop
    Friday, February 3 10:00 - 12:00
    		Modelling tools
    Monday, February 6 14:00 - 16:00
    		Core topic - Traffic assignment
    Thursday, February 9 12:00 - 14:00
    		Project workshop - Pitching
    Friday, February 10 10:00 - 12:00
    		Modelling tools & Guest lecture FLOU
    Monday, February 13 14:00 - 16:00
    		Core topic - ABM & LUTI models
    Thursday, February 16 12:00 - 14:00
    		Project workshop - Reharsal
    Friday, February 17 10:00 - 12:00
    		Modelling tools
    Wednesday, February 22 10:00 - 12:00
    		Final presentations

    Please note that the topics for each lecture are not final and changes may occur during the course.

    The first session is exceptionally a virtual session, taking place via Zoom, at the following link: https://aalto.zoom.us/j/63310875285.

    All the other sessions are planned as in-person, taking place in Rakentajanaukio 4, Room R3 (255).

    The colours in the schedule above indicate the content type of the session: green for theory-based, red for project workshops, yellow for computer tools, blue for guest lectures, and orange for introductory and concluding sessions.

    These are the deadlines for assignments and other activities.

    Date Time Deadline
    Monday, January 23 13.55 Assignment 1
    Monday, January 30 13.55 Assignment 2
    Wednesday, February 1 23:55 Intermediate feedback
    Monday, February 6 13.55 Assignment 3
    Monday, February 13 13.55 Assignment 4
    Wednesday, February 22 9.55 Material for final presentation

    Note that there will be other smaller assignments, incorporated as part of the sessions.

  • Materials - Core content

  • Materials - Project work

  • Materials - Guest lectures

  • Materials - Modelling tools

  • Assignments

  • Intermediate feedback

    I would really appreciate your support in improving the quality of this course.

    I will appreciate constructive feedback.

    Grade 5 (weighted as a +5% in the final) is given if you just submit ALL your feedbacks.

    To anonymise the feedback, your submissions will be at first only associated with nicknames. At the end of the course, I will share a document to link nicknames to your student numbers.  

    There will be 4 feedback assignments during this course:

    • I&E competencies before the course
    • Mid-course feedback survey
    • I&E competencies after the course
    • Final feedback survey (delivered via Aalto "official" channel)

  • For Aalto users

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