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Books in Social sciences

The Social Sciences collection forms a definitive resource for those entering, researching, or teaching in any of the many disciplines making up this interdisciplinary area of study. Written by experts and researchers from both Academic and Commercial domains, titles offer global scope and perspectives.

Key subject areas include: Library and Information Science; Transportation; Urban Studies; Geography, Planning, and Development; Security; Emergency Management.

    • Handbook of Experimental Methodology

      • 1st Edition
      • Volume 1
      • English
      This handbook provides an in-depth review of cutting-edge methodologies in experimental economics. It explores various methods for eliciting preferences and beliefs in both static and dynamic settings, encompassing individual and group behavior across different techniques and diverse sample pools. Additionally, it highlights recent advances in econometrics and replication strategies. The handbook serves as a comprehensive reference for scholars interested in conducting experimental research in the lab, through surveys, or in the field.
    • Models and Measures for Sustainable City Logistics

      Behavioral Choice Processes
      • 1st Edition
      • Francesco Russo + 1 more
      • English
      Models and Measures for Sustainable City: Behavioral Choice Processes Logistics offers a thorough understanding of urban freight movements, focusing on behavioral aspects of consumers. It outlines the role of modelling the behavioral aspects of people determining urban freight movements, mapping the behavior of the end consumer and the retailer which generates freight movements in an urban context. It provides new methods of urban freight transport simulation, taking into account the challenges of sustainable development goals, and uses the most recent approaches in modelling for city logistics scenario design and planning. It also outlines the relationships between measures and main components (expressed by indicators) of sustainable development.This book guides readers in implementing the most effective city logistics measures and actions, addressing the choice of a set of measures and the definition of planning scenarios. Readers are introduced to simulation methods for estimating impacts and system performance, which can be used for comparing the future scenario outcomes according to the set of target indicators defined by Agenda 2030. The book first specifies end consumer behaviors in purchasing processes, analyzing the individual phases of the purchase. The retailer’s behaviors are then specified, and after specifying the patterns of the decision makers, the quantities of goods that constitute the references for the choices of the decision makers are analyzed. Finally, the book presents the problems whose solution makes it possible to identify the vehicles of the various types and then the flows on the network. The overall structure of the model system and the specification of each single model are then given. Some models calibrated in different real cases are presented, highlighting their applicability to other contexts. Finally, implementable measures are presented and the relationships between measures and main components (expressed by indicators) of sustainable development are examined.Transport technicians, post-graduate students, and academics alike will find this a valuable resource for understanding how to incorporate user behavior into transport planning and logistics modeling, ultimately helping them to optimize processes and promote sustainability.
    • Smart Cities and Artificial Intelligence

      Convergent Systems for Planning, Design, and Operations
      • 2nd Edition
      • Christopher Grant Kirwan + 1 more
      • English
      Smart Cities and Artificial Intelligence: Convergent Systems for Planning, Design, and Operations, Second Edition offers a comprehensive view of how cities are evolving as smart ecosystems through the convergence of technologies incorporating machine learning and neural network capabilities, geospatial intelligence, data analytics and visualization, sensors, and smart connected objects. Exploring cities as real-time, living, dynamic systems, and providing tools and formats including generative design and living lab models that support cities to become self-regulating, this book provides readers with a conceptual and practical knowledge base to grasp and apply the key principles required in the planning, design, and operations of smart cities.This book brings a multidisciplinary, integrated approach, examining how the digital and physical worlds are converging, and how a new combination of human and machine intelligence is transforming the experience of the urban environment. It presents a fresh, holistic understanding of smart cities through an interconnected stream of theory, planning and design methodologies, system architecture, and the application of smart city functions, with the ultimate purpose of making cities more liveable, sustainable, and self-sufficient. This updated second edition also includes a new focus on the Metaverse as an extension of the smart city operating system, as well as an updated comparison of different smart city models that have been implemented around the world, such as the smart city as a platform, as a product, and as a service. All sections have been updated to align with technological advancements, and there are new use cases and applications of AI in smart cities that have emerged since the first edition was published.
    • Logistics Transportation Systems

      • 2nd Edition
      • MD Sarder
      • English
      Logistics Transportation Systems, Second Edition brings together multiple topics on transportation logistics systems from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives, providing detailed examples of real-world logistics workflows. It explores the key concepts and problem-solving techniques required by researchers and logistics professionals to effectively manage the continued expansion of logistics transportation systems, which is expected to reach an estimated 25 billion tons in the United States alone by 2045. In addition to updating existing content, it also discusses new topics in contemporary fields, including supply chain resiliency, reshoring, and visibility, reflecting the latest market changes and technological advancements.This book provides an ample understanding of logistics transportation systems, including basic concepts, in-depth modeling analysis, and network analysis for researchers and practitioners. In addition, it covers policy issues related to transportation logistics, such as security, rules and regulations, and emerging issues including reshoring. This thoroughly updated new edition also features two new chapters on supply chain resiliency and strategic sourcing and supplier selection.This book is an ideal guide for academic researchers and both undergraduate and graduate students in transportation modeling, supply chains, planning, and systems. It is also useful to transportation practitioners involved in planning, feasibility studies, consultation and policy for transportation systems, logistics, and infrastructure.
    • Handbook of the Economics of Matching

      • 1st Edition
      • Volume 2
      • English
      Handbook of the Economics of Matching, Volume Two summarizes both classic results and the many recent advances on matching without transfers. Its seven chapters, written by leading researchers, cover both theoretical and empirical work and include sections on Matching under Non-transferable Utility: Theory, Empirical Approaches to Climate Change Impact Quantification, The large markets case, Matching under Non-transferable Utility: Applications, Allocating students to schools: theory and empirical methods, Matching with contracts, Matching with frictions, and Dynamic Matching.
    • Transport and Energy Transition

      • 1st Edition
      • Volume 16
      • English
      Transport and Energy Transition, Volume 16 highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters written by an international board of authors. Topics in this new release include The role of organization, policy and planning in facilitating (or constraining) the transport energy transition, Behavioral dimensions and dynamics of transport energy transitions, Where crises and social movements meet: momentum for alternative mobility visions, Institutional implications of transport energy transitions – what new institutions will be needed? Can existing institutions adapt?, and Whose Transition? Power and Discourse in Austria's Rural Mobility Transformation.
    • Air Transport: A Computer Science Perspective

      • 1st Edition
      • Sebastian Wandelt + 1 more
      • English
      Air Transport: A Computer Science Perspective examines the integration of computer science principles in air transportation, bridging the gap between theory and real-world applications. It delves into automation, problem solving, and innovative aviation technologies. Authored by a seasoned team of a computer scientist and an airspace engineer, it offers a unique blend of expertise that highlights practical algorithms, data structures, and optimization techniques essential for flight operations and autonomous systems. Readers will learn about the latest regulations, ensuring they are well-equipped to navigate the evolving air transport landscape.Structured in five parts, the book begins with foundational concepts like computational complexity and intelligence. It then explores airline operations, including network design, flight scheduling, fleet assignment, and aircraft routing. The exploration continues with airport operations, focusing on gate assignment, ground vehicle allocation, and delay prediction. In the realm of air traffic flow management, readers will discover trajectory optimization, airspace sectorization, and network resilience assessment. The final section summarizes key insights and future trends.This book is an invaluable resource for transportation engineers, computer scientists, and professionals in data science, software engineering, and aviation research. It is ideal for students in aerospace engineering, computer science, and data science programs, emphasizing practical applications that drive innovation and efficiency in the air transport sector.
    • The End of Driving

      Automated Cars, Sharing vs Owning, and the Future of Mobility
      • 2nd Edition
      • Bern Grush + 2 more
      • English
      Vehicle automation is on dual paths of entrenching private car ownership while simultaneously enhancing transportation services that would make driving unnecessary. Future impacts are uncertain.The End of Driving challenges the assumption that self-driving cars will by themselves reduce traffic congestion and crashes. Evolving vehicle automation will create safer, more convenient vehicles, yet continued reliance on private ownership will increase traffic volume. The authors explore psychological factors sustaining private vehicle use and the challenges of mixed-driver roads, examining why shared robotaxis face behavioral, political, and policy hurdles that will impede mass adoption, despite substantial public benefit.This updated edition examines real-world deployments through 2025 and introduces concepts such as zero car-ownership communities, robotaxi pickup and drop-off orchestration, and urban spaces redesigned around greater mode choices for physical access rather than parking. The book compares privately owned automated cars against shared, on-demand driverless vehicles, using new data to show which model best serves cities.Rather than predicting timelines, the authors use backcasting to map paths toward preferred mobility futures. They propose micro-subsidies, flexible transit integration, and regulatory frameworks to guide automation toward all three pillars of sustainability: ecology, economy, and equity. Shared, automated mobility is achievable and desirable but requires the deliberate actions described in this book.
    • Meeting SDGs in Smart City Infrastructures

      Federation, Interoperability, and Discoverability
      • 1st Edition
      • Manas Pradhan
      • English
      Meeting SDGs in Smart City Infrastructures: Federation, Interoperability, and Discoverability explores the current state-of-the-art practices in smart city digitization and governance processes, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It discusses the pros and cons of various methods, standards, and initiatives involved in the digital transformation of cities from policy-maker, implementer, and end-user perspectives. Utilizing real-world use cases from cities worldwide, the book highlights their goals, adopted measures, and their outcomes. It provides guidelines for achieving long-term service federation, interoperability, and discoverability while keeping the UN SDGs in perspective.This resource is invaluable for practitioners and researchers in the smart city domain and will help them better understand existing and evolving technologies and formulate their processes to provide sustainable models for urban development.
    • Reliable Decision-Making for Sustainable Transportation

      • 1st Edition
      • Gholamreza Haseli + 2 more
      • English
      Reliable Decision-Making for Sustainable Transportation explores decision-making methods that incorporate expert and decision-maker opinions for improved reliability. The book examines fuzzy sets that capture ambiguity and enable a more comprehensive analysis of stakeholder perspectives, focusing on transportation case studies to demonstrate techniques for weighing criteria, ranking alternatives, and selecting optimal and reliable decisions. It seeks to advance transportation planning, traffic engineering, road safety, and sustainability by integrating state-of-the-art decision support systems that leverage AI and multiple stakeholder viewpoints.This approach will benefit researchers and professionals across transportation, decision sciences, supply chain management, and operations looking for innovative ways to model uncertainty and decision-maker reliability and providing methodologies and frameworks for more robust group decisions.