OVERVIEW

The course aims at providing basic information and knowledge about the economic facts and processes occurring in the transport sector, both with micro and a macroeconomic approacg. Policy issues will also be considered. The relationships between the transport industry and the overall economic system are investigated. 

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course provides the most relevant specific skills in this sector and at the same time it focuses on its contribution to general economics. It also provides the knowledge of specific features of different transport modes, of competition and industrial organization in the markets where these firms operate, as well as of the economic policy guidelines relevant to this sector.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course provides the most relevant specific skills in this sector and at the same time it focuses on its contribution to general economics. It also provides the knowledge of specific features of different transport modes, of competition and industrial organization in the markets where these firms operate, as well as of the economic policy guidelines relevant to this sector. 

PREREQUISITES

Basic microeconomics and macroeconomics 

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures.

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities  and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Serena Scotto (scotto@economia.unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Part I: An introduction - transporation, economy, society; transport macroeconomics; sustainability and innovation.  

Part II: Transport microeconomics - the economics of transportation services; demand, production, costs; the economics of the infrastructure and infrastructure planning; market structure: competition, oligopoly, monopolies; pricing and market regulations.

Part III: The sectors of the trasnport industy - freight and passenger transport; complex and intermodal transport cycles; unitization and containerization; maritime transports and ports; road and railway transport; air transport and airports.

Part IV: The government of transportation - urban mobility: urban growth/developement, urban and regional dynamics, transport policies; transport and firms' location patterns; transport and globalization - the policies: market and public intervention; market failures, externalities, natural monopolies; liberalization and privatizations in the transpor modes; trends in transportation policies.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The textbook to prepare for the exam is:

• Enrico MUSSO, Trasporti. Economia, storia, imprese, ambiente - Giappichelli, Torino, 2024

For the students who attend the course, the presentations of the lectures, which are made available on the Aulaweb during the course, are also useful. 

Any further bibliographical notice will be issued through the Aulaweb in due course.

Beware of other alleged "lecture notes", often available on the internet, collected by anonymous students and definitely NOT revised nor approved by the lecturer. 

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The course takes place in the second semester (February-May) according to the timetable issued by the Department.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exams are based on written tests carried out in the classroom with the support of Aulaweb and on oral examinations. The details are communicated in due time on Aulaweb and in the classroom.

On a voluntary basis, individual students or small groups can agree on insights through workshops and laboratories - conducted with active, interactive and constructive teaching methodologies (cooperative learning, group or project teaching) - on topics that combine concepts and problems addressed in the course with specific topics also linked current affairs, giving rise to short essays or presentations at the end of the work. Interested students contact the teacher to agree on the topics.

Registration for exam sessions on the unige.it platform is mandatory.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The written tests, mainly structured through closed or open questions, graphs and numerical examples, aim at assessing (A) the learning of the basic concepts and information delivered in the course or through the textbook or teaching material, and (B) the ability to set up simple applications of such basic concepts and information, correctly interpreting numerical examples, statistics, practical cases, applications of the rules presented in the theoretical part.

The oral test is based on a more in-depth and articulated reflection that takes its cue from the basic concepts and information to evaluate the student's ability to apply them to complex cases, thus demonstrating a mature assimilation of knowledge transmitted.

For both parts, and in particular for the oral interview, preparation on the slides and on the reference textbook (E.Musso, Trasporti. Economia, storia, imprese, ambiente, Giappichelli, Turin, 2024) is strongly recommended.

The workshop, with consequent short essay or presentation, aims at assessing the student's ability to interpret a problem and independently set up (individually or in teamwork) research project combining the application of concepts addressed in the course with specific topics related to current events in the world of transport.

Please note signing up for the exam through the University website (www.unige.it) is mandatory.

FURTHER INFORMATION

All students are invited to periodically consult the page of this course on the AulaWeb e-learning portal (accessible from the University website or at the address: http://www.economia.aulaweb.unige.it/). All information and materials relating to this teaching are published exclusively on this site.