Analysing space-time behaviour: new approaches to old problems

Abstract

Time geography had led geographers to analyse and model activity-travel patterns since the 1970s. The notion that activity-travel patterns are highly constrained has been frequently used in analytical studies and models of space-time behaviour. The popularity of this field of research lost most of its momentum in geography in the 1990s, but is now the dominant approach among civil engineers in transportation research. This paper critically reviews these developments. It briefly summarizes recent developments in space-time research, focusing on empirical and modelling studies. Potential strengths and weakness of the various modelling approaches are discussed.