Author: Jean-Paul Rodrigue

Global merchandise trade has peaked since around 2015. The share of trade in relation to the global GDP is steadily declining as well, from a peak of 50% to around 40%. Is this an indication that peak globalization has been reached, or will global trade continue to rapidly grow in

Updated air traffic figures for 2020. Obviously, because of the pandemic, passenger traffic experienced a 65% drop. However, air cargo traffic only declined by about 2%. It is expected that 2021 will show a significant bounceback, possibly close to pre-pandemic levels. World Air Travel and World Air Freight Carried, 1950-2020

Updated parcel deliveries figures by major carriers, including Amazon. 2020 is yet another year that experienced strong growth in parcel deliveries and an ongoing decline in mail deliveries. Mail Carried by USPS and Parcels Carried by Major Carriers, United States, 2004-2020 | The Geography of Transport Systems (transportgeography.org)

The section covering air transportation, with Dr. John Bowen as lead author, has been substantially updated. It reflects recent development in air transport services and the ongoing impacts of the Covid pandemic. 5.5 – Air Transport | The Geography of Transport Systems (transportgeography.org)

I appeared on PBS Iowa on a cover story on the state of global food systems. The video segment is available here: https://www.iowapbs.org/mtom/story/38686/fighting-famine Provided some input about the role of logistics as better distribution capabilities have played an important role in alleviating the extent and impacts of famines around the

Updated a page depicting the complex relationships between the commercial value of containerized cargo and the associated transport cost range per TEU. There are significant differences in relative transport costs according to cargo type. Container Shipping Costs and Cargo Value | The Geography of Transport Systems (transportgeography.org)

Updated an existing page providing an overview of the wide range of activities directly related to a port. Range of Activities Performed by Ports | The Geography of Transport Systems (transportgeography.org)

The “International Encyclopedia of Transportation” is now available via academic publisher Elsevier. This massive academic work edited by Roger Vickerman consists of seven volumes with contributions by hundreds of scholars with various specializations in transport studies. I authored an entry on the topic of transport modes and globalization. Transportation modes

Added a new page resuming the main conceptual representations of transportation demand. They include constant demand, which a proportion of a variable, deterministic demand, which is a function of several parameters, and stochastic demand, which is a bounded probability. Types of Transportation Demand | The Geography of Transport Systems (transportgeography.org)

Updated a map portraying passenger and freight activity in Pacific Asian airports (East and Southeast Asia) for 2018. Passenger and Freight Traffic at East and Southeast Asian Airports, 2018 | The Geography of Transport Systems (transportgeography.org)