On Tuesday 29th of August, at 10:30 am, Francois Sprumont, a graduate of the Master Program at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, will defend his PhD thesis. That afternoon, his supervisor, Franceco Viti, organized a public seminar along similar themes of urban mobility. Francois would like everyone to know about this day of events. Below, you will find more detailed information on the schedule. Please feel free to share this information in your networks.
Constance
When: August 29th, 10h30 - 17h00
Venue: Black Box, Maison des Sciences Humaines (MSH), Campus Belval
10:30 - 12:15 PhD defence François Sprumont
Title: Activity-travel behaviour in the context of workplace relocation
Abstract: Travel behaviour analysis is a complex task because of the myriad of determinants influencing decision makers. The commuting trip constitutes an important travel purpose, but is not the dominant one. Because of its spatial and temporal concentration, the commuting flow is an ideal target for mobility management measures aiming at decreasing its negative externalities. Nevertheless, commuting travels are done in the frame of a more complex activity-travel chain, and some choices, whether on the short term (e.g. commuting mode choice) or in the longer term (e.g. where to live, buy a car) are done considering an ensemble of trips. Our research hypothesis is that workplace relocation, or more generally an event that strongly affects travellers’ trip chains, induces different and interrelated responses. Our research aim is to gain insight into this complex decision-making process, in order to better understand its relation with transport policy measures.
Abstract: Travel behaviour analysis is a complex task because of the myriad of determinants influencing decision makers. The commuting trip constitutes an important travel purpose, but is not the dominant one. Because of its spatial and temporal concentration, the commuting flow is an ideal target for mobility management measures aiming at decreasing its negative externalities. Nevertheless, commuting travels are done in the frame of a more complex activity-travel chain, and some choices, whether on the short term (e.g. commuting mode choice) or in the longer term (e.g. where to live, buy a car) are done considering an ensemble of trips. Our research hypothesis is that workplace relocation, or more generally an event that strongly affects travellers’ trip chains, induces different and interrelated responses. Our research aim is to gain insight into this complex decision-making process, in order to better understand its relation with transport policy measures.
12h15 - 13h00 PhD committee discussion and deliberation
13h00 - 14h00 Celebration & lunch and drinks
14h00 - 14h45 Prof. Caspar Chorus, TU Delft
Title: Random regret minimization: a no-regret approach
Abstract: Since their relatively recent inception, random regret minimisation (RRM) models of discrete choice behaviour have found their way towards commercial software packages, textbooks, and policy briefs. They have now been used in a variety of fields to analyse and predict choice behaviours of travellers, consumers, patients, voters, tourists, politicians, visitors of dating websites, etc. RRM models postulate that the attractiveness of an alternative depends on how it compares, on each attribute, against every competing alternative in the choice set. This talk presents the derivation and properties of the newest and most powerful RRM model. This so-called muRRM model nests the linear RUM model as well as the earlier proposed RRM model as special cases. Estimation results on a series of data sets show that when regret aversion is a relevant factor underlying choice behaviour, model fit differences between muRRM and linear RUM tend to be very substantial (in favour of the former). When regret aversion is no relevant factor, the muRRM model collapses to a linear RUM model; as such, the model is a ‘no-regret’ tool for choice modellers.
14h45 - 15h30 Dr. Eric Cornelis, University of Namur
Title: Synthetic population and mobility
Abstract: In this talk, we will present how micro-simulation could be useful in modelling mobility. More especially we will first give an insight on synthetic population methods. Then we will detail the method we used for simulating the Belgian population. With this synthetic population and statistics drawn from the national mobility surveys, an activities diary will be associated with all the Belgian individuals. This will provide us a spatially disaggregated mobility demand. Finally we will give avenues on how this demand could be assigned on the roads network.
Abstract: In this talk, we will present how micro-simulation could be useful in modelling mobility. More especially we will first give an insight on synthetic population methods. Then we will detail the method we used for simulating the Belgian population. With this synthetic population and statistics drawn from the national mobility surveys, an activities diary will be associated with all the Belgian individuals. This will provide us a spatially disaggregated mobility demand. Finally we will give avenues on how this demand could be assigned on the roads network.
15h30 - 16h15 Dr. Véronique van Acker, Luxembourg Institute of Socio Economic Research
Title: Lifestyles and modal choices: Defining, measuring and using the ‘lifestyle’ concept in travel behaviour research
Abstract: Although there is not a formally stated agreed definition of it, the ‘lifestyle’ concept gains interest in travel behaviour research. Some studies analyse what they would call lifestyles, but in fact combine various objective socio-economic characteristics and rather refer to stage-of-life or household composition. This presentation therefore provides a structured overview of the ‘lifestyle’ concept (definitions, measurement methods) and illustrates the usefulness of three different lifestyle approaches based on sociodemographics (i.e., demographic lifestyle approach), attitudes toward family-work balance and leisure time (i.e., sociographic approach), and holiday and leisure activities (i.e., mechanistic approach). Using data of an Internet survey organized in 2007 in Flanders, Belgium, this presentation illustrates how lifestyles are associated with modal choices for leisure activities.
16h15 - 17h00 Closing remarks & drinks
