Ransford Antwi Acheampong

Dr

Personal profile

Qualifications

PhD, MPhil (University of Cambridge, UK), BSc (KNUST, Ghana), Certificate in GIS (ITC, University of Twente, Netherlands), Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Research interests

My research interests are focused on the nexus among transport, mobility technologies and land use, and their integrated planning in cities. A key strand of my research addresses questions around the future of transport and cities in the context of new and emerging transport technologies and associated mobility services, including AI-driven Connected Autonomous Mobility, Digital Platform/App-based Mobility Systems and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS). A related strand of my research also focuses on the longstanding practical question of land use-transport systems integration for equitable accessibility and sustainable mobility outcomes.

I have pursued the aforementioned research areas through collaborative, interdisciplinary research projects and sustained publication in leading scientific journals and books. For example, in the Autonomous Disruption—Socio-spatial and infrastructure investment implications of Autonomous Vehicles’, research project,  I lead a team of researchers to develop an international  comparative understanding of the urban impacts of autonomous vehicles, using four cities and city-regions across Europe and Australasia, namely Manchester (UK), Melbourne (Australia), Seattle (USA) and Singapore as case studies. Within the African Cities Research Consortium, our collaborative research on ‘City-of-Systems’ and ‘Land & Connectivity’ seeks a deeper understanding of and solutions to the complex, systemic urban development challenges in the cross-cutting areas of land, infrastructure and services in African cities.  I am lead-editor and contributor for the newly published book Transport and Mobility Futures in Urban Africa. I also explore contemporary urban planning issues including the evolving nature and scope of spatial planning and the planning system, integrated spatial development and transport planning, and urbanization and settlement growth management in my book, Spatial Planning in Ghana: Origins, Contemporary Reforms and Practices, and New Perspectives.

 

Methodological knowledge

My research employs quantitative social science methodologies (mainly, but not exclusively) including;

  • Structural Equation Modelling (SEM)
  • Geospatial Data Analytics
  • Participatory Visioning and Foresight Methodologies; and
  • Agent-Based Modelling (ABM)

Supervision information

I am happy to hear from prospective PhD researchers who are interested in pursuing research with me on topics including:

  • Future transport and mobility with a focus on user adoption and travel behaviour impacts of new and emerging transport technologies and associated mobility services
  • Transport integration (policy and technical dimensions), including Mobility-as-a-Service (Maas), transport service co-location and mobility hubs planning
  • Differential accessibility impacts of conventional and new and emerging modes of transport
  • Urban forms and transport systems interactions.
  • Transport decarbonization and sustainability

Topics may be explored from the context of urban areas in the Global South or Global North.

I am currently supervising the following doctoral students and research areas (find out more about their topics here): 

  • Yuyuan Chen: Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) transitions (China-focus)
  • Christopher Marsland: User perspectives for Mobility-as-a-Service planning and design (UK-focus)
  • Augustine Asuah: Urban form and differential accessibility (Ghana-focus)
  • Fatimah Alturfi: Autonomous vehicles and sustainable future mobility (multi-context-focus)
  • Abdulrahman Al Mottahar: Autonomous vehicles and the built environment- policy and regulatory response (multi-context-focus)
  • Ruixiao Yang: E-mobility hubs location planning and optimization

My group

Teaching

  • PLAN44061/PLAN64061 Land Use and Transport Planning (PGT)-Unit Convener/Co-ordinator
  • PLAN10092 Applied Project (UG)-Unit Convener/Co-ordinator

I also contribute to the following postgraduate modules:

  • PLAN42002 / PLAN60872 Infrastructure Planning 
  • GEOG 70971 Sustainable Urban Mobilities 
  • PLAN60861&40861 International Planning Systems and Frameworks 

Editorship: Academic Journals

Service and Leadership

  • Lead/Co-ordinator: Spatial Policy and Analysis Lab and Research Group (2022-present)
  • Undergraduate Admissions Tutor: Planning and Environmental Management Programmes (2022-present)
  • Undergraduates Dissertations Co-ordinator: Planning and Environmental Management Programmes (2019-2023)
  • Departmental Research Seminar Co-ordinator: Planning and Environmental Management (2018-2022)

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 4 - Quality Education
  • SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
  • SDG 13 - Climate Action
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  • SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

Areas of expertise

  • HE Transportation and Communications
  • Transport Planning
  • travel behaviour
  • future mobility
  • spatial planning
  • smart city
  • land use and transport interaction

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

  • Digital Futures
  • Institute for Data Science and AI

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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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