Description

Discussion documents on regional policy mention a number of territorial imbalances and the high concentration of economic
activity and population in the core area of the EU, referred to as the ‘European Pentagon’, the area between London, Hamburg, Munich, Milan and Paris. The European Council of Spatial Planners (ECTP) warns in their on-line discussion paper on territorial cohesion that Europe might become a boring place if we try to systematically eradicate the differences between regions and places. The ECTP constitutes our Quality Team, so we should take such warnings seriously. But what does this mean for our Guide to Good Practice?Should we listen to the more sceptical view of Henrik Sander? The HafenCity Universität Hamburg, also rooted in the European Pentagon, seems to be well aware of the territorial shortcomings of the Pentagon. Or should we applaud the Stedenbaan initiative, which tries to bring rail mobility to as many citizens as possible in the province of Zuid-Holland? Sophie Labbouz (EIVP) shows that every self-respecting French town is re-embracing the tram in the fight against congestion and pollution. What do we say to a partner city like Toledo that has set its mind on building its own tram system? Should Toledo draw on the French experience? Or should we point out the territorial differences between French and Spanish cities? The steep hill on which Toledo’s city centre is located could be one such difference: trams cannot climb the steep slopes in the centre and would have to bypass it. The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), located in the north-west corner of the European Pentagon, is investing much of its energy in the HST network and the economic and social opportunities it offers. But the United Kingdom itself is reluctant to build a high speed rail infrastructure outside the South East. At first glance, the HST looks like something that typically belongs to the European Pentagon. Wrong again! Look at the HST network that Spain is building. But again we could question if this is the right approach. If the aim is to ease the stark differences between the European Pentagon and the rest of the EU, it would seem to be a sound approach. But the inhabitants of Toledo, whose regional train service has been replaced by the HST (AVE), are not at all happy about the steep price rises that came with it. The mountain town of Covilhã is one of the few partners that clearly suffers from a geographical handicap. The field demonstration of the cybernetic transportation system organised by IPN would seem to be a justifiable approach. But some doubts creep in here too. On average, the people of Covilhã spend fifteen minutes travelling between their home and workplace. Living in the European Pentagon is rather different. To travel home from work I can choose to travel by car, take the train or use the cycle path in my street subsidised by the European Union. No matter which mode of transport I choose, during the rush hour my journey to and from work will take me about three times as long as the equivalent journeys made by the citizens of Covilhã. Maybe territorial disparities are not so bad after all. And who knows, the ECTP may be right to make some of their criticisms.