Functional-Spatial Sustainability Potentials of Integrated Infrastructure Planning

Abstract

In response to societal, political and financial-economic dynamics, a trend towards integration of road infrastructure planning and planning of other land use functions can be observed. Effects of this trend – which is especially visible in the Netherlands, but can also be recognized in other countries – are observable in spatial development plans, designs and projects, as well as the organizational sides of planning. In this paper we take a substantial perspective regarding these innovations; we make a distinction between broadening of the functional scope and the spatial scope of projects. Both deserve careful consideration in the optimization of synergy among planning sectors, which can be seen as a concrete reflection of often abstract sustainability principles. Traditional barriers between spatial policy sectors (‘silos’) have to be overcome in order to optimize this synergy, while traditional administrative boundaries often hamper the definition of optimal project areas needed for context-specific infrastructure development. This paper aims to analyse the broadening of these scopes from a theoretical and empirical perspective. In order to examine the relationship between planning scopes and sustainability of outcomes we propose an analytical framework based on a review of scientific literature and policy documents. After this we explore the position of these concepts within Dutch road infrastructure planning and build on the experiences gained through our involvement in the development of a planning instrument for sustainable integrated developments. The insights are used to draw conclusions about the relationship between the functional and spatial scope of infrastructure projects and their potential contribution to a more sustainable road infrastructure planning practice, in terms of synergy and spatial quality. Furthermore, possible consequences for the organizational side of infrastructure planning are discussed.