Thesis My thesis is definitely picking up steam. I found this fascinating book on transport justice, advocating a methodology to transportation planning based on principles of justice and accessibility. I rewrote my proposal again because of that book. Next Monday my thesis committee will discuss my proposal, here's to hope they like it. Moving The same day I found out the source of the infrequent sewage odor in my room, I also got the confirmation that the studio I was looking at will be mine. Finally I can have my own place, one that doesn't literally smell like shit and looks like a run-down haunted house in the hallways. I have yet to know the precise studio in the complex but I already know for sure it'll be somewhere between the 16th and 22nd floor, which means I can enjoy a kickass view whenever I want. I'm considering lasercutting a map of everything visible from my window.
It's this one. Here's a taste of it. I found it fascinating because the book was written specifically for transport planners, providing a concrete methodology for prioritizing transport measures based on principles of justice and equality. Basically, the book felt like it was written for me. If all goes well, I'll be Skyping with the author next week to get some input on my ideas.
The gist of or is this: Transportation planning is mostly about government bodies deciding where to allocate their resources based on the locations that they give the most priority. Setting priorities and distributing resources are inherently normative activities. Currently, planners prioritize and distribute resources based on their expectations of congestion and on cost-benefit analysis. Both of those methods are disproportionally favoured towards the non-poor. The book argues that a more fair transportation planning method should focus on population groups that suffer from the largest accessibility deficiencies.