Spatial imaginaries and the politics of inter-regional transport infrastructure development in Northern England

This article explores how relationships between policy actors at different scales, and their changing character over time, shape the production of spatial imaginaries and their use in transport infrastructure planning. Based on research on the planning of a major rail project in Northern England bet...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European planning studies 2024-12, Vol.32 (12), p.2493-2515
Main Authors: Arnold, Tom, Deas, Iain, Wong, Cecilia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
England
Infrastructure
Planning
policy
Politics
Production
region
Regional development
Regional planning
Regions
spatial imaginaries
Transport infrastructure
Transportation
Transportation policy
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Summary:This article explores how relationships between policy actors at different scales, and their changing character over time, shape the production of spatial imaginaries and their use in transport infrastructure planning. Based on research on the planning of a major rail project in Northern England between 2011 and 2022, the article illustrates how spatial imaginaries reflect interactions between national, sub-national, regional and local institutions. Drawing on a programme of interviews with policy actors, the research highlights the tensions manifested in planning for transport infrastructure about which places are prioritized in policy, and the institutional influences shaping these decisions. The article develops understanding of how inter-scalar politics influences the production of spatial imaginaries and how these imaginaries are in turn utilized in support of transport infrastructure plans by policy actors at different spatial scales.
ISSN:0965-4313
1469-5944
DOI:10.1080/09654313.2024.2371021