Characterized by a similar size and radial structure, high-speed rail French and Spanish networks are designed to meet long distance accessibility needs of major metropolitan systems. However, the two systems serve a number of towns with less than 100,000 inhabitants, which understand this opportunity as means to improve their attractiveness. The comparison of the two networks, which systems obey to different operating principles, allows specifying the role played by the high speed in the precise situation of these small towns. Moreover, this comparison allows analyzing interactions between accessibility gains and development strategies that have been implemented. Beyond their diversity, the very ambitious development projects have dropped only modest benefits. These short achievements of the strategies implemented are questioning whether these small towns, with reduced concentrating functions, are able to articulate accessibility advances and territorial development in a context of metropolization processes accentuated by high speed rail.
TGV is often seen in small and medium sized cities, as in larger cities, as an opportunity to improve their image, increase their attractiveness, and as a tool for developing tourism. This particular development is expected to compensate for the decline of the activity of the productive sector and public sector. However, the effects observed mostly in larger cities are not easily transposable. First, the SMC should have a tourism potential adapted for use by the TGV, and inhabitants of newly served cities must be earlier tourism consumers of these cities. On the other hand, if these cities can benefit from a reputation effect related to the TGV, which can be beneficial to tourism in the long run, this effect depends largely of a strong political will, significant preexistent touristic resources and of an insufficient reputation.
The aim of this paper is to highlight the differences in attractiveness policies for the development of operational logistics activities in Lorraine and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is also to observe the consequences on the geographical and relational organization for these activities. In a first time, the research discusses the interest that the development of the logistics sector represents for these two spaces, but also shows the achievements and projects in this sphere. After examining the results of a comparative analysis and mobilizing the polysemous concept of proximity, the thinking leads to the presentation of policy differences and their impact on the development and territorial structure of logistics activities. It synthesizes the results by proposing two typical patterns of attractiveness. The paper finally shows a complementarity rather than an opposition from the results of policies and suggests some recommendations for a more cooperative and interterritorial view of relationships between players of both territories for future development opportunities.
Driving under influence has become the main cause of fatalities on French roads, and the deterrence policies implemented over the last decades have shown limited impacts on these behaviors. This paper presents a behavioral analysis of deterrence theory, in the case of DUI. These policies are shown to be particularly efficient when users are risk averse. The second part presents empirical studies showing that alcohol consumption is generally associated to risk taking behaviors. These results partly explain why deterrence has failed to reduce DUI related fatalities significantly. A discussion proposes research directions for the development of deterrence theory and suggests that a better understanding on the impact of alcohol consumption on decision making may help improving the impact of these policies.
In recent decades, the daily mobility recorded growths of travel distances that have contributed to urban sprawl by allowing workers to increase their residential choice and settle far from the urban centralities. One may wonder if the same mechanism contributes to the social division of urban space, as households can use the possibilities of commuting in favour of selective location criteria regarding the neighbourhood, even if it takes them away from theirs workplaces. The upper classes would be most likely to benefit from their lower budget constraints to perform socially upward residential mobility in support of long-term daily mobility. The article proposes an empirical exploration of this issue, based on the exploitation of the Global Survey of Transport 2002 (INSEE). These data allow us to observe, for the decade 1992-2002 in the Paris region, if the increase in commuting distances of workers was particularly characteristic of those who have moved to wealthier municipalities.