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SPADE at a glance

The continuous development of the transport system takes place at different spatial scales involving many stakeholders. One may think of the European scale with the TEN-T corridors, the national level at which the national road administrations (NRAs) operate, Daily Urban Systems (DUS) at which different regional and urban stakeholders operate or specific locations with specific stakeholders. The achievement of a sustainable and integrated transport system is essential for a good functioning of society, economy and environment.

The NRAs have expressed the need for innovative approaches that address the multi-dimensional nature of the challenges on infrastructure network, multimodal mobility, spatial development, timing, valuation, as well as institutional and governance dimensions. The central question raised by CEDR is ‘How to achieve integrated project development of infrastructure and its spatial surroundings?’ Planning authorities need to co-operate, not only concerning the development of the transport system, but also concerning spatial development. A collaborative planning of infrastructure and spatial development is needed.

CEDRs members see three important, mutually related, issues that need to be addressed regarding the collaborative planning:

  1. Exploration of an integrated spatial and infrastructure development (Issue A). This relates to insights in trends in mobility and spatial development;
  2. Design of an integrated spatial and infrastructure development (Issue B). This topic relates to creating and implementing combinations of spatial and multi-modal infrastructure development;
  3. Assessment of an integrated spatial and infrastructure development (Issue C). This issue focusses upon the assessment of the added value of the integrated plans and designs, in order to get an insight in the societal relevance of collaborative planning.

SPADE relates specifically to Issue C: Assessing the added value from spatial development as a factor in infrastructure planning. The objective of the project is to provide CEDR with a validated method for assessing costs and benefits of combined infrastructure and spatial development, building on existing knowledge and including specific contexts such as nation-wide, urban or rural regions.