Border effect and transport infrastructures in Europe. Scale, spatial separation and infrastructures

This paper is focused on the spatial separation of transport and borders with particular reference to the scale effects that can be recalled in such an issue. Areas characterized by the recent enlargement process of EU, like the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and the bordering Slovenian an Austrian regions, experiment new balances of both inter-city connections (railways and roads) and local ones. Connections between major cities need in fact to be reinforced, but also local ones create new challenges, problems and opportunities – let think about the transport and planning issues in the area Gorizia – Nova Gorica. However also the European core is affected by similar issues in some terms: let exclude high speed trains that connect major cities in central Europe, however many links are still lacking in connecting such transport nodes, thus maintaining alive a spatial separation effect of borders also in areas now apparently integrated.