Evolution of the transport connection across the border: the role of the TGV and the future of the lorries Girona, 2013
AIM OF THE REPORT How road and train network has evolved after second World War? How land use has changed and affect on landscape? Future of transportation in border region?
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Cultural/landscape geography The report approaches the concept of landscape through the land use Main terms and aspects: Landscape Border Landscape ecology Land use
LANDSCAPE AND BORDER How human actions and transportation affect on landscape Direct indirect effects on landscape due to high speed rail and road network Meaning of border Divides Catalan area Part of Mediterranean corridor Border between France and Spain
LAND USE AND LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY Human use of land Urban areas, forests, fields etc. Landscape changes via land use Constant change Landscape ecology as way to analyze landscape Interactions and conflicts between human actions and nature
DATA AND METHODS Spatial data from border area Maps from 1945 2012 Land use data from 1987 1997 Articles and interviews GIS Evolution of transportation Comparison of maps Changes in land use Land use maps Future scenarios Interviews Hypothesis
THE ROLE OF THE TGV Source: http://www.republica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ave_mad-bnc.jpg, 16.05.2013
WHAT IS THE TGV? The TGV (French: Train à Grande Vitesse) is France's high-speed rail Developed during the 1970s The first line in Europe was inaugurated in France in 1981 between Paris Lyon The first line in Spain was opened in 1992 connecting the cities of Madrid Cordoba Sevilla In Spain the longest HSR network in Europe 2,144 km Average speed: 250-300 km/h Record of speed: 574,8 km/h
TGV LINES IN EUROPE Source: Jaume Feliu presentation
HSR - ROLE Line connecting Ibernian Peninsula with Central Europe, In future direct high-speed connection between Barcelona Paris, More attractive for tourists the numer of tourists increases, Decrease travel time from Perpignan to Barcelona 50 minutes instead of 2h 45min, The HSR will boost local people mobility, New job opportunities for people living outside the metropolian area, Areas near the HSR will be more attractive to investors, In the future HSR will carry more goods from the port of Barcelona
FIGUERES PERPIGNAN Line connecting Iberian Peninsula with central Europe, In 2001 the French and Spanish governments agreed to create a new line between Perpignan and Figueres, Construction for building the connection between Figueres and Perpignan started in autumn 2004, Build was completed on February 2009 and was opened for traffic on December 2010, This section is a part of the Southern Mediterranean Europe HSR project: Lyon Marseille and Lyon N mes (in service); Montpellier Perpignan (in project); Figueras Barcelona (in service ); Lleida Barcelona ( in service ); Madrid Zaragoza Lleida (in service)
PERTHUS TUNNEL The tunnel is located under eastern Pyrenees, and it has 8,3 km It took 5 years to build it, and it was finished in February 2009 and opedned for traffic from December 2010 Source: Jaume Feliu presentation
LAND USE CHANGES AND IMPACT ON LANDSCAPE Focus on counties area of la Jonquera, Agullana and Capmany Data only from Spanish side of the border Only land use maps from 1987 to 1997 No high speed rail No information from last decade No remarkable changes Urban areas growing in la Jonquera and Capmany Changes in woods and meadows class Reasons: No high speed rail Concervation of the area
INTERVIEW
CROSS BORDER COOPERATION Better transport connection between Catalonia and France enable transboundary cooperation Examples of projects: o Cross border Hospital of La Cerdanya o Transboundary Slaughterhouse in Ur o Transborder Research and Higher Education Pole of Pyrenees Mediterranean project between Universities of Girona, Perpignan, Lleida and Balear Island and Paris
OLD ACCESSIBILTY Source: Jaume Feliu presentation
NEW ACCESSIBILITY Source: Jaume Feliu presentation
THE FUTURE. 1 ST SCENARIO: TGV IS A SUCCESS. Determining factors: People think that the price of the TGV tickets is acceptable. Fuel price increases. Schedule s combination is well designed. Cooperation between north and south regions is intensified. People from big cities move to medium cities with TGV stations. TGV replaces lorries in most of goods movements.
THE FUTURE. 1 ST SCENARIO: TGV IS A SUCCESS. Changes in the mobility of people. They ll use TGV instead of other transports and they will travel further. The daily mobility will increase. Urban sprawl that will cause the urbanization of all the territory affected by TGV lines. Fast development of some sectors (construction, hotels, restoration, commercial). Negative effect on the services in small cities. TGV will become a determining factor to locate companies and industries. Possibility to create a urban system among Girona, Figueres and Perpignan within the Catalan Eurodistrict. Sharing of services between these 3 cities.
THE FUTURE. 2 ND SCENARIO: TGV IS NOT USED. Determining factors: People think that the price of the TGV tickets is too expensive. Fuel price doesn t increase. Schedule s combination is poorly planned. Language is an obstacle between north and south regions and restrains cooperation. Local actors don t apply the good strategies and the Catalan Eurodistrict is not created. People from big cities don t move to medium cities with TGV stations. Transportation by lorry keeps having more benefits.
THE FUTURE. 2 ND SCENARIO: TGV IS NOT USED. The TGV is expensive and people don t get used to it. People keep using road transports to travel. TGV hasn t an effect on the daily mobility. People only take it to travel on holidays. The expectations on small cities don t become real and there are a lot of failed construction projects. TGV don t contribute to the development of small cities. TGV has no impact on the location of companies and industries. The facilities that brings the transportation by lorries and the kind of products they transport don t allow the TGV to replace them. Influence of French and Spanish governments against the creation of the Catalan Eurodistrict stops this project. With the connection with Lyon and Paris, the French influence over Perpignan increases.
THE FUTURE. OTHER SCENARIOS. Determining factors: Influences of local, regional (Sp, Fr), European and global politics. Role of the local actors on the development of strategies to take advantage of the opportunities that the TGV brings. Difference between the cost of travelling by TGV or by car. Importance of the language and cultural differences.
INTERVIEWS
CONCLUSIONS How road and train network has evolved after second World War? Network connection in border area was develop Comunications have been developped in a north-south direction, not east-west How land use has changed and affect on landscape? No significant change in land use Short term influence on landscape Future of transportation in border region? The future depends on the local, regional and global actors. People has to take advantatge of the oportunities that the TGV brings.