Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2025 - GEOG 324 D100

Geography of Transportation (4)

Class Number: 4384

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Mon, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Surrey

  • Instructor:

    Leanne Roderick
    leanne_roderick@sfu.ca
    Office Hours: Office hours will be conducted online through Zoom. Book via www.calendly.com/leanne_roderick

  • Prerequisites:

    At least 45 units, including GEOG 100.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An empirical and theoretical examination of the geographical aspects of transportation systems.

COURSE DETAILS:

Delivery Method: In-person, Surrey Campus

Course Details
The Spring 2025 human geography offering of this course focuses on the mobilities of people, goods, and services in cities. Its starting point is that the urban form – particularly the spatial imprint of a city’s transport system – confers a level of spatial arrangement and path dependency in cities that have political, social, and cultural implications. This course critically explores cities and mobilities, especially insofar as transportation is understood via an examination of historical and contemporary cases (from Vancouver and around the world) related to people and how they navigate, mobilize, and experience the city.

Transportation is an important aspect of our daily lives, and plays a key role in shaping economic and environmental outcomes. Topics may include: walking and cycling; automobility and parking; transportation demand management, public transit (subways, rail, bus); intra-regional rail transportation; tactical urbanism; transportation justice; and, social equity and transportation. Experiential field exercises and expert guest lectures will form an integral part of the course in support of our understanding of the geography of transportation. Assignments include an ethnographic observation of a transportation experience; a travel patterns memo; and, the group-creation of a semester-long project in collaboration with transportation planning managers with the City of Surrey.

Course Guidelines and Policies
Field Activities: there are no mandatory supplementary course fees since it assumed that every student has a U-Pass BC. There will be multiple activities in this course; including group and individual walking and observation exercises in downtown Surrey.  Be aware that during these field activities there may be periods of crossing roads with busy traffic, and the need to stop and observe transportation systems in both busy and isolated locations. Appropriate clothing and footwear must be worn. Further details regarding safety will be discussed prior to each field activity.

Students must at all times remain compliant with all student responsibilities, regulations, and policies as outlined in the current Academic Calendar, as well as relevant regulations and policies as outlined in the SFU Policy Gazette. This includes, but is not limited to, expected student conduct and the maintenance of appropriate medical insurance coverage. If you find yourself in any sort of emergency situation, please call 911.




COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

  • The relational, social, and spatial aspects of urban transportation;
  • The critical role of cities and their transportation networks in human history and civilization, especially since the modernization of cities in the 20th century;
  • The regional and international context within which trends towards transportation infrastructure and investments are occurring;
  • The complex politics and economics of developing and planning transportation initiatives in cities;

Grading

  • 1. Participation (15%, individual grade): preparation, attendance, and participation in class tutorials and in-class exercises. Tutorial groups will co-create a participation rubric at the start of the term, and submit a self-assessment of their contributions using this rubric at the end of the semester. 15%
  • 2. Transportation Report (20%, individual grade): The major individual written assignment is a case study of transportation. The case report is to be divided into two components. Part I will provide a description and assessment of your chosen case. Part II of the assignment requires you to - drawing on ideas, theories, and approaches discussed in class – make recommendations for improving mobility, access, or other particular issues and challenges established in Part I. Papers are to be 1500 words in length, excluding bibliography. Maps and images should be incorporated. 20%
  • 3. In-Class Midterm (20%, individual grade) 20%
  • 4. Analyzing Transportation Concepts in a Board Game (10%, individual grade): Students will critically examine how transportation systems are represented in a selected board game, exploring key transportation geography concepts such as networks, flows, accessibility, and spatial interaction. The report should discuss how these concepts are gamified, comparing them to real-world transportation systems and dynamics. 10%
  • 5. Report: Observing and Improving Intersection Design (10%, individual grade): Students will conduct a field observation of a specific intersection, analyzing traffic flows, infrastructure, and safety concerns. Based on their observations, students will propose practical improvements to enhance traffic efficiency, safety, and accessibility, applying transportation geography concepts such as flow management, modal integration, and spatial planning. 10%
  • 6. Term Project (25%, group-assignment) in partnership with the City of Surrey = 25% (5% pitch, 10% written report, 10% final presentation) 25%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

All readings and required materials will be available via SFU Library, and posted or linked onto the course Canvas page.


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.