After the flooding in 2002 European governments provided billions of Euros of financial assistance to their citizens. Although there is no doubt that solidarity and some sort of assistance is reasonable, the question arises why these damages were not sufficiently insured. One explanation why...

Given the ubiquitous scarcity of resources an economic approach is necessary in order to determine an optimal strategy of adaptation to climate change. In this paper we develop an economic framework for the study of adaptation which allows us to distinguish between decentralized adaptation by...

This paper analyzes the high-end range of traffic information systems for individual motorized traffic and for public transport. 'High value-added' traffic services are characterized by dynamic, personalized information, including suggestions for alternative routing; they are supplied on a...

Die Überlastung der vorhandenen Verkehrsinfrastruktur in Ballungsgebieten zu den Hauptverkehrszeiten stellt ein zunehmendes wirtschaftliches und verkehrliches Problem dar. In diesem Beitrag werden Lösungsmöglichkeiten für eine effiziente Verteilung bzw. Allokation des knappen Gutes "Freie...

Transport is characterised by market failures that are of particular importance in urban settings. This paper reviews market failures and policy failures in The Netherlands for various transport markets, including road transport, public transport and biking. Special attention is paid to parking...

Does medical insurance affect health care demand and in the end contribute to improvements in the health status? Evidence for China for the year 2004, by means of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), shows that health insurance does not affect health care demand in a significant manner....

This paper reviews the extent to which policy interventions can affect risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking and diet. The justification for such intervention is typically a market failure, broadly defined. The types of market failure typically encountered are discussed. First and second...

This paper studies the evolution of hurricane insurance in Florida over the last decades. Hurricanes (and other natural catastrophes) are typically referred to as uninsurable" risks. The more exposed property owners find it difficult to obtain insurance cover from the private market and/or can...