The transformation of the world economy from a system of nations trading materials-intensive goods to a system of seamless global networks for information-intensive goods and services has created the need for a comprehensive restructuring of transportation and communications activities. The contributors - transportation and communications analysts from Japan and the United States - address this restructuring from a variety of perspectives ranging from theoretical treatments of the role of information in the economy to applications of communications technologies for the collection of travel data. The authors transcend traditional methods of transportation and communication analysis in order to address emerging issues that are not well represented by the prevailing cost - benefit framework. Many draw from advances in social sciences, such as game theory, that recognize the interdependence of human decision making. New ways of assessing the economic benefit of infrastructure and the evolving role of institutions in the information economy are demonstrated, along with novel approaches to analyzing human mobility and interaction in a knowledge-rich environment.
By moving beyond traditional forms of analysis that were better suited to an earlier time, the chapters in this book provide a wealth of insights for policy formulation in the globalized knowledge economy. This comprehensive volume will be of great value to regional scientists and economic geographers, as well as civil engineers, economists, and analysts interested in transportation and communications.