Movements of people, goods and information have always been fundamental components of human societies. Contemporary economic processes have been accompanied by a significant increase in mobility and higher levels of accessibility. Although this trend can be traced back to the industrial revolution, it significantly accelerated in the second half of the 20th century as trade was liberalized, economic blocs emerged and the comparative advantages of global labor and resources were used more efficiently. However, these conditions are interdependent with the capacity to manage, support and expand movements of passengers and freight as well as their underlying information flows. Societies have become increasingly dependent on their transport systems to support a wide variety of activities ranging, among others, from commuting, supplying energy needs, to distributing parts between factories. Developing transport systems has been a continuous challenge to satisfy mobility needs, to support economic development and to participate in the global economy.

The goal of this introductory chapter is to provide a definition of the nature, role and function of transport geography and where the discipline stands in regard to other disciplines. It also underlines the importance of specific dimensions such as nodes, locations, networks and interactions. Along with an overview of methods used in transport geography, some basic methods such as accessibility measures and route selection are presented. An overview of Geographic Information Systems for transportation is also provided.

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