Mariana Reis Santos spoke at the TM 20th Annual Conference in Padua on September 24-25, 2022.
Summary: Transportation is becoming progressively important in the development of cohesive and sustainable regions. In fact, developing adequate transport infrastructure is critical for connecting regions to larger financial, social, and political networks in the context of a globalized economy. At the same time, transport development and policy may have controversial effects, intensifying rather than alleviating regional disparities. In this context, problems of spatial (dis)connection are a major concern, particularly in rural-urban regions. Using the example of Greater Paris, this paper explores the two-folded role of transport infrastructure in the socio-spatial development of rural-urban areas. Specifically, this article takes interest in the north-eastern departments of the aforementioned region, namely, Seine-Saint-Denis and Vale d’Oise. Through a historical analysis of transport plans and policy and the collection of empirical data, it demonstrates the disparities between planning objectives and outcomes. With this analysis, this article challenges the model of Transit-oriented Development (TOD) and contributes to the existing body of literature on rural-urban development, urban morphology, and mobility justice in France and elsewhere.
Link to the conference: https://t2m.org/call-for-papers-mobilities-disruptions-and-reconnections/