X-twitter Github Linkedin

GGS 590, GGS 357, GOVT 357: URBAN PLANNING

The GGS 590, GGS 357, and GOVT 357 Urban Planning course gives an overview of theoretical and empirical urban design and planning models that emerged to describe the spatial structure of cities. The materials of this course highlight the evolving structure of cities, examining the planning and political processes as well as the economic forces forming cities. Cities are changing rapidly and are facing complex challenges. According to the World Health Organization, nearly half of the global population currently lives in cities, which is projected to grow to 70% by 2050. This necessitates thinking differently about how to solve 21st-century problems. This is an interactive and engaging course with real-world applications and activities, where the hypothetical nature of the lessons is used as a jumping-off point to discuss the planning process and how planning occurs on actual projects. Examples of learning goals for this course are:

  • Understand the chronological order of progress and challenges forming planning theories.

  • Explain the rationale behind the origins and causes of the urbanization of America.

  • Articulate, evaluate, and compare different urban planning theories, with a focus on their role in the urbanization evolution.

  • Describe travel forecasting models, including the 4-step generation, distribution, mode choice, and trip assignment process.

  • Illustrate the link between transportation planning and land use planning.

GGS 505 / GGS 399: TRANSPORTATION GEOGRAPHY

The GGS 505 and GGS 399 Transportation Geography course is an introductory class that offers an overview of transportation geography, engineering, planning, theory, and practice at international, national, regional, and urban levels. This is a 3 Credit Hour course taught by Alireza Ermagun. The interactive lessons use real-world activities and hypothetical scenarios to explore the transportation planning process and how planning occurs on actual projects. The overarching objective of the course is to give the class a taste of how to think and act as engineers, planners, and geographers. Students will gain a deeper knowledge of the complexities of what these professionals do, while examining the possibilities and limitations they face. Examples of learning goals for this course are:

  • Gain knowledge of the problems, theories, and concepts that have shaped transportation systems and their spatial structures.

  • Describe travel forecasting models, including the 4-step process of trip generation, distribution, mode choice, and trip assignment.

  • Understand travel behavior patterns and illustrate the link between transportation planning and land use planning. Apply statistical analysis and critical analysis to model travel choices and measure accessibility across different transportation modes.

CE 6163 URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

The CE 4163 and CE 6163 Urban Transportation Planning course examines the concept, framework, and key components of transport planning. The materials of this course emphasis on the interaction between transport and urban form in the era of electrification, autonomy, and crowdsourcing. Cities are changing rapidly and are facing complex challenges. According to the World Health Organization, nearly half of the total global population lives in cities, and that figure is projected to grow to 70% by 2050. This necessitates thinking differently about how to solve the 21st century problems. The emergence of information and communication technologies, data management, and digital systems offers opportunities to better plan for transport systems. Examples of learning goals of this course are:

  • Describe and critique the current transport planning practices and future trends

  • Understand the roles that emerging data and technologies play in transport planning

  • Illustrate the link between transportation planning and land use planning.

  • Develop the 4-step process of generation, distribution, mode choice, and trip assignment

CE 8163 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

The CE 8163 Public Transportation course is an advanced class that gives an overview of public transport planning and practice, with a strong emphasis on current issues being discussed in the planning and transport industries in the United States. It examines the evolution of transit systems, with particular emphasis on policy, planning, operational, and technical issues. Public transport is an essential element of sustainable transport systems, to the extent that the United States Environmental Protection Agency names “transit accessibility” and “transit productivity” as two of their twelve Sustainable Transportation Performance Measures. Hence, understanding of the design, planning, management, and operation of public transit systems is indispensable to students who aim to enter the transport planning and engineering job market. Examples of learning goals of this course are:

  • Represent the history and evolution of public transit systems
  • Illustrate the link between public transit and land use and their interaction
  • Analyze capacity, level-of-service, route scheduling, and connectivity
  • Describe the role of technology and traveler information in the future of public transit systems

CE 6173 TRAVEL BEHAVIOR MODELING AND FORECASTING

The CE 4173 and CE 6173 Travel Behavior Modeling and Forecasting course was developed and added to the curriculum of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Mississippi State University by Professor Alireza Ermagun. This course gives an overview of travel behavior analysis and forecasting, with primary attention given to the statistical, econometric, and behavioral choice model research techniques used to study and forecast travel behavior. Instruction is based on studying practical transport and urban planning problems and handling real-world data. The course makes an introduction to statistical programming languages R and STATA, training students in model formulation, estimation, and use of models in travel prediction for real problems. Attention to the modeling process, or how travel demand analysis and forecasting actually occurs, represents a constant theme in the course. Examples of learning goals of this course are:

  • Understand travel behavior patterns and planning process
  • Develop the ability to use statistical analysis including data exploration and hypothesis testing
  • Become familiar with different model specifications, assumptions, and implications
  • Develop hands-on skills to handle real data and use relevant software for demand modeling

CE 3113 TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

The CE 3113 Transportation Engineering course is an introductory class that gives an overview of transport engineering, planning, theory, and practice. This is a 3 Credit Course, and is mandatory for all undergraduate students intending to major in Civil and Environmental Engineering. I use the hypothetical nature of the lessons as jumping-off points to discuss how transport planning, design, operation, and management occur on real-world projects. The goals and expectations of this course are ambitious, but the main objective is to give the class a taste of how to think and act as an engineer and planner. Students will gain deeper knowledge into the complexities of what transport engineers and planners do, as well as begin to examine the possibilities and the limitations that they face. Examples of learning goals of this course are:

  • Explain the concept and process of transport planning, design, operation, and management
  • Learn traffic concepts such as queueing, traffic flow, shockwaves, and signalization
  • Learn geometric design concepts such as sight distance, earthwork, and horizontal and vertical curves
  • Solve introductory traffic and geometric design problems