For a development project of Riba-Côa and Cima-Côa - the importance of transports and communications

Abstract

The following paper seeks to revisit the issue of the modernization of transport and communication in Portugal during the period known as the "Regeneration," while assessing its results on a regional scale, particularly along the banks of the Côa River, a tributary of the Douro River, and in the vicinity of the central border with Spain.

At a time when the issues of road accessibility (especially the conversion of the IPS into a motorway) and railway accessibility (the planning of the TGV line) are hotly debated in Portugal, we should listen to the lessons of history and ask ourselves, first and foremost, what the role of means is in relation to the desired ends. Despite the "royal roads" (later "international roads") and the Beira Alta railway line, did the levels of production and productivity increase significantly in "Riba-Côa" and "Cima-Côa"? One need only look at the migration and emigration rates in the second half of the 20th century. And today, is there really the intention to develop the region? There are (still) some resources, "know-how," and much cultural "knowledge." However, is there the political will to make decisions?