Does the Channel tunnel infrastructure contribute to the integration of different regions ? Lessons for the Oresund region
HEDDEBAUT
Type de document
COMMUNICATION AVEC ACTES INTERNATIONAL (ACTI)
Langue
anglais
Auteur
HEDDEBAUT
Résumé / Abstract
The paper presents the back up strategies put forward both in Kent and in the Nord-Pas de Calais region as a set of experiences which have led towards a real and a new cross border cooperation between the two ends of the Channel Tunnel. It shows how a specific strategy has been set up to accompany the Channel Tunnel construction in Kent, particularly in the transport infrastructure field. Then it compares with the specific strategy built up in the northern region of France. It analyses the results of the ex-post study made about the transport infrastructure accompanying programme planned on the French region. It analyses how these experiences have conducted to the creation of an 'Euroregion' between the two regions hosting the Channel Tunnel terminals and which have spread over to a larger Euroregion including five different regions (the three Belgian regions of Wallonia, Flanders and Bruxelles capital, the Kent County and the Nord-Pas de Calais region). The analyse of the reality of this new planning scale concludes that it is more the institutional links and all the reorganisation of the transport system which have conducted to the former stage of a greater scale planning. Finally it tries to compare with the Oresund fixed link experience and to sort out some lessons for the Oresund region.
