ECONOMIC AND LAND USE IMPACTS OF TRANSPORT

Major infrastructure projects can re-sculpt the pattern of urban development. Substantial shifts in accessibility will change the location choices of firms and households, setting in place a new geography of land values. This in turn will signal where new and/or intensified urban development is commercially feasible. The outcome is a shift in urban structure and form with an increase in economic activity. In considering transport infrastructure initiatives, it is important to note that not all infrastructure is equal in terms of impact on settlement patterns. We have devised a typology of infrastructure projects comprising the following categories: • Strategic infrastructure comprises a relatively limited number of projects, almost exclusively in the transport domain, which have the power to shift relative accessibility. These projects drive the location decisions of households and firms, and can create agglomerations that boost productivity. • Structural infrastructure represents the higher order or ‘trunk ’ facilities that provide the skeletal framework for the urban region, including arterial roads, major water storages, major hospitals, and university campuses. Sufficient structural infrastructure is what underpins the economic adaptability of a region. 1 The authors would like to thank Beth Finney, Marcus Spiller and Armando Mazzei for their help in developin