Mobility Matters Daily #120 - Virtual worlds and shipping
Also, what Underground Line do Londoner's hate the least?
Good day friend.
When I was a lad (wow, I feel old all of a sudden), I was told that in order to win you need a mixture of luck and skill, and you can’t rely on luck. That is something that I have tried to live by ever since. That is why - after years of delaying - I am finally starting my Transport Planning Society PDS journey. And boy, has my initial review shown me what I’ve neglected for some years. To the news.
James
Welcome to the Metaverse
That really sounds like something out of a DC Comic storyline. But the Metaverse is something is something that has been spoken of recently in the tech world. Facebook (who else) has set up a team to look at the idea, while the likes of Epic Games and even banks doing the same.
If you are wondering what on Earth the Metaverse is, its essentially a virtual world where, by using virtual reality equipment, you can walk around 3D environments in a whole virtual world. Imagine being able to literally walk around Minecraft or a Fortnite arena, and you get the idea. It has often been explored in science fiction, with the Internet being a Metaverse in Wreck It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet, and the always-brilliant Futurama being inspired by the idea in I Dated A Robot. Such virtual worlds have been a staple of science fiction for 30 years.
Yeah, its crazy. But I like crazy, and exploring how crazy can impact on transport. It probably won’t replace the actual world, but what trips could a virtual world replace? Maybe trips for social purposes such as to meet friends? Perhaps companies could be founded and do business in the metaverse, so fewer business trips? How about using the on-train Wifi to go shopping in a virtual world? Maybe, the result could be polarised between people who are in the Metaverse all the time, and those choosing to stay outside of it. Perhaps this is something to consider in your next Horizon Scan.
Shipping through the Arctic is probably bad
A possible benefit of the retreating sea ice in the Arctic is that the fabled Northwest Passage may soon become open for shipping. This has a number of benefits, notably that shipping routes from Europe to Eastern Asia would be 2500 miles shorter. But it is a complex area. Not only is is highly sensitive environmentally, but there are arguments as to whether it is international waters or Canadian waters, which will drastically affect the viability of the route and the future development of the Arctic.
This paper by Lambert Joseph, Thomas Giles, Rehmatulla Nishatabbasa, and Smith Tristana is an excellent policy analysis of different options for commercial shipping through this area. Whilst it shows that under some scenarios - including Net Zero scenarios - some shipping would be viable for nearly half the year…
The results also show that implicit damage costs cannot be overlooked and that it is possible to advance towards more holistic methods for assessing economic and environmental risks and opportunities in Arctic shipping.
Its a great paper to read, and a good example of looking holistically at the impacts of change. But this is essentially saying “its complicated and we need to know more.”
Visualisation of the Day
According to the r/london SubReddit, these lines are the least hated on the London Underground. With daily votes taking place over the last 2 weeks, the likes of TfL Rail, the Metropolitan Line, and the Emirates Airline have gone by the wayside. Now the competition is hotting up*.
* By the way, the Docklands Light Railway has to win this. Not only was it a catalyst for the regeneration of that area of East London, but because it is driverless you can sit at the front and pretend you are driving the train. No other reasons are needed.
If you do nothing else today, do this
Read the UK Government’s Futures Toolkit. It doesn’t explain the theory behind futuring (much), it just tells you how to do it, and what tools to use when. Essential reading for anyone working in transport strategy.