Transport is a powerful agent of globalisation… Improvements in types of transport and in transport networks have made the world shrink …

What does ‘Accessibility’ mean?

What does ‘time-space convergence’ mean? Where places appear to move together as travel times change

Changes in transport and communications Global transport =- air, sea & land now cheaper, more efficient, constant technological improvements and faster. Wealth increases therefore more mobile population therefore shrinking of relationship between time and space. Time/space convergence is the rate to which places move towards each other.

Continued However, some places e.g. Papua New Guinea have become less connected. Very much depends on accessibility and communications.

Time Space Convergence e.g.

Regional Space / Time Convergence (in minutes) The above graphs display a process of space / time convergence between two city pairs, London and Edinburgh (located 520 km apart) and New York and Boston (310 km apart). Both city pairs went through a different space / time convergence process. With the development of stage-coach services in the 18th and early 19th centuries, travel times declined substantially. However, by the 19th century stage coaches have reached their optimal efficiency and could no longer provide time improvements.

Continued The development of rail networks initiated a new phase of space / time convergence and by the early 20th century travel times were significantly lower than previous decades. The development of highways and then air transportation systems from the mid 20th century reduced travel times to 100 minutes between London and Edinburgh and to 70 minutes between New York and Boston. It is unlikely that these figures will change anytime soon. Contemporary space / time convergence dominantly takes place at a system wide and global level.

A worked example

Why does ‘time-space convergence’ occur at different rates in different parts of the world?

Air traffic today … Play the Video clip

And … … the future of transport?

The new American A380 Airbus

‘Maglev’ trains in Japan

Why does it occur at different rates in different places Discussion: key points, accessibility e.g. Papua New Guinea, Core/Periphery developments, connectivity, available money, infrastructure, changes in industry trends and patterns, governments decisions (e.g. M4 corridor South Wales, changes in natural resources etc. (Brainstorm and answer)

To think about Increased massively, now largest employer and revenue. Use examples, changes in Tourism, patterns, types, affluence and yet flights, travel has become cheaper, shorter journey times. (Get statistics from the internet etc).

What have been the impacts of this? Effects on culture, tradition, westernization, 2000 languages disappear of the world’s 6000, and English becomes more and more dominant and important for people around the world to speak, movies, American programmes etc change peoples attitudes, perceptions of the West etc, images of USA, UK etc can affect design building e.g. China example of Super man