SOCIETAL CONTEXTS OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION

Although it is an accepted fact that histories of cities mirror the histories of their transportation and communication systems, present day transportation planners seem to occupy themselves solely with the workings of transport subsystems rather than large-system effects. The author here concerns himself with this problem, and suggests that predecessor policies are essential to a productive, beneficial transportation scheme. Not only must the criteria for safety, cost, load, and design be met, but also for such factors as noise, vibration and air pollution. Transportation and communication processes are so enmeshed within the processes of social change and economic development that each must be considered as an attribute of the other. The technologies associated with transportation and communication have contributed immeasurable to the national's economy. But the benefits have been unequally distributed within society, having caused a massive restructuring of spatial patterns, suburbanization, and the inevitable concentration of the poor in the city center. The author suggests a set of synoptic policies that would seek to exploit potential technological developments for explicated social purposes.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr150/sr150-008.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0360859X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Presented at a conference conducted by the Transportation Research Board Sept. 7-8, 1973, at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and cosponsored by the Transportation Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the 1907 Foundation.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Webber, Melvin M
• Conference:
  • Conference on Multidisciplinary Education in Transportation
  • Location: Philadelphia Pennsylvania, United States
  • Date: 1973-9-7 to 1973-9-8
• Publication Date: 1974

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: pp 45-51
• Monograph Title: MULTIDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION IN TRANSPORTATION
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 150
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0360-859X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Communication systems; Conferences; Education; Forecasting; Multidisciplinary teams; Policy; Pollution; Social factors; Socioeconomic factors; Suburbs; Transportation careers; Transportation disadvantaged persons
• Uncontrolled Terms: Disadvantaged persons
• Old TRIS Terms: Transportation effects
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Environment; Highways; Policy; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00083157
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 8 1975 12:00AM