ABSTRACT
Roads play a fundamental part in the development of cities and regions, as they affect accessibility and the relative attractiveness of all locations. Recent investments have mainly taken place outside cities as new construction in cities is often seen as reducing the attractiveness of city centres. This apparent contradiction between the benefits of roads (e.g. better access) and the negative aspects (e.g. environmental quality) has never really been addressed in analysis (see Part III) which has tended to concentrate on the physical quantitative aspects rather than the social and environmental qualitative aspects. Most road investment has taken place in specific corridors where development has been encouraged, or in locations between and around cities to establish the inter-urban network. The consequence of investment in these locations would suggest that development pressures have also responded by moving to these corridors and to the network outside cities. These, so-called ‘greenfield sites’ are also attractive to developers as land prices are lower than in the city centre; land assembly is easier; the development costs are lower; the sites are car accessible and the quality of the environment is perceived as being high. It is not surprising that investment in new roads out of city centres has generated substantial pressures (Headicar 1996).
