Efectos territoriales de las infraestructuras de transporte de acceso controlado

Abstract

This paper is a summary of a previous work conducted in order to propose a scientific and methodological ground for the evaluation of the spatial effects of those transport infraestructures having controlled access (e.g. highways, TGV ). The proposal included both a literature review and two case studies, the first one refered to a highway in the north of Spain and a second one studying a section of the spanish high speed railway (AVE). Demographical, planning regulations, building permisions and new activities analysis were carried out, while other aspects as land values, economic activities and traffics were also considered. The contrast between both types of analysis succeded at identifying the common spatial effects of these infrastructures. Main findings were: even in the project stage, these infrastructures use to rise land values; however, actual development for the area (demography, new economic activity) is normally long termed or sometimes simply it is not. For development to happen a set of politial, economical and social actions have to be implemented syncronically to infrastructure construction. Usually changes on the hierarchichal structure of the city system are detected, generally accounting for a bigger development of those cities placed higher in the ranking. New territorial axes cannot be described trough the studied cases, but a rise in relations and dependences among cities was obvious. Clear improvements in citizens quality of life, (at least in the current aception of this concept), are also detected although they have not been considered here as development, since they are difficult to quantify.