Aplicación de técnicas de SIG en la planificación del transporte en Extremadura (España)

GIS IN ROAD TRANSPORT PLANNING IN EXTREMADURA (SPAIN). Increasingly more importance is given to the role played by infrastructures as an element that shapes the landscape. New highways modify conditions of access, which consequently influences potential regional development. In this sense, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are suitable tools for the calculation of accessibility levels and the implementation of cartographical outputs and results. In the light of these premises, this work is aimed at designing a GIS transportation model in the Regional Community of Extremadura in order to make an inventory and to plan and analyse regional infrastructures from economic and social perspectives. It is also our aim to evaluate the effects derived from infrastructure changes on the landscape by considering the highway transportation systems.In this sense, the calculation of shorter pathways is of great importance in order to achieve realistic accessibility GIS models. These models need calculations of the distance between couples of objects. By means of the calculation of the shortest pathways, distances can be precisely measured through the network that monitors the movements instead of using straight-line distances. By using GIS, models can be created that allow us to predict future trends. In order to study the potential of the designed model, different indicators have been determined showing the communication levels in different areas of Extremadura. Indicators calculated for the different population centres and areas are accessibility in absolute and relative terms, times of minimum access and the gravitational pull in comparison with the most significant populated areas. Maps are then generated with the results obtained from each of the indicators