Spatial Implications and Planning Criteria for High-Speed Rail Cities and Regions

Spatial Implications and Planning Criteria for High-speed Rail Cities and Regions evaluates the varied experiences that HSR systems have brought about to different station-cities and their regional territories around the world, with an eye towards better future planning and policy of such systems.

This edited volume draws from examples of high-speed rail operations in different cities in Europe and Asia to depict the various impacts of this major transportation infrastructure. It attempts to distinguish the short- and long-term impacts described in the literature, classifying them into regional and inter-urban effects, urban effects, and wider economic impacts. Planning challenges appear at two major points: 1) during the initial planning stage that includes the route and location of stations; and 2) during the development process that follows.

The case studies in the book concentrate on a variety of topics from the impact of high-speed rail on population growth in some station-cities, to the regional economic impacts that an HSR system can bring about to the larger territories it passes through, to the potential of station-cities to better attract firms, or to experience increases in tourism and commerce. They also assess planning strategies and experiences from station-cities to draw lessons for future HSR planning policies.

The Chapters in this book were originally published in a special issue of European Planning Studies.

José Maria de Ureña is Emeritus Professor of City and Regional Planning, University of Castilla La Mancha. He has served as the Rector of the University of Cantabria and President of the Santander Group of European Universities. He has worked and contacted research at several leading universities across Europe and USA. His research includes planning for riverfront areas, urban regeneration, spatial implications of high-speed rail, design of public spaces, metropolitan multicentric regions, and teaching/learning methods.

Chia-Lin Chen is Lecturer in Urban Planning at Department of Geography and Planning, University of Liverpool. Her main research interests lie in exploring the relationship between transport and territorial dynamism across different spatial scales, seeking potential solutions through the role of design, integrated strategic planning and assessment, and multi-level institutional governance.

Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris is Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Associate Dean of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Her interests are in the areas of urban design and transportation. She is the author or editor of nine books and over 100 papers on issues dealing with planning, transportation, and urban design.

Roger Vickerman is Emeritus Professor of European Economics, University of Kent and Visiting Professor, Transport Strategy Centre, Imperial College London. He is the author of 6 books and over 200 papers. He was Editor in Chief, Transport Policy 2010-2016 and is Editor in Chief of Elsevier’s Encyclopaedia of Transportation.