Urban nodes

The European Union is strongly urbanised, with 432 urban nodes identified. This vast array of urban hubs has a significant economic and geographical value. Urban nodes are critical to the TEN-T network, which aims to identify any missing infrastructural links that national authorities might have overlooked while focusing on building the national network. The lack of developed urban nodes hinders network connectivity and enhances capacity bottlenecks. In June of 2024, the revised TEN-T Regulation has been adopted. This signifies the ongoing pivotal role that urban nodes have in the functioning of the single market. The interconnection of urban nodes is fundamental for building economic value both in terms of seamless transport of freight and passengers and also for enhancing sustainable mobility. However, organising investments for new infrastructure might be challenging as many stakeholders are involved, and the urban capacity is limited. This issue of Network Industries Quarterly focuses on the role of urban nodes in the Single European Transport Area (SETA). In his contribution entitled Urban Nodes –Predict, Provide, Plan, Prioritise and Prevent, Alan O’Brien gives a clear picture of the context of urban nodes in Europe while illustrating the main measures needed to build a reliable urban node. Tiina Ruohonen’s contribution entitled The governance of TEN-T urban nodes discusses the different governance mechanisms of urban nodes in Europe, suggesting to foster those collaborations that are already in place. The importance of governance is once again highlighted in Thomas Geier’s piece A Governance Framework for the Urban Nodes by the Urban Nodes. Here, the author stresses the fact that no one-size-fits-all governance model exists, suggesting more robust communication among those actors that already facilitate inter-communal transport policy. The fourth contribution, entitled TEN-T Urban Nodes as Functional Entities by Lucian Zagan, emphasises the need for integration between urban nodes and the TEN-T network while considering challenges for urban nodes, such as governance, funding, cooperation and policy coherence.