Infrastructure Network Development, Re-territorialization Processes and Multilevel Territorial Governance: A Case Study in Northern Italy

Infrastructure networks play a crucial role in the construction of the territory because they create connections among places and define spatial systems in physical and economic as well as political terms. The development of mobility networks activate the re-definition of the constituting relations of territories (de-territorialisation and re-territorialisation processes) and interact with the re-scaling of territorial governance; new actors appear on the scene and places take part in “multiple spatialities” (Amin, 2002). Territorial planning has to face the new infrastructure proposals within multilevel governance processes. The paper addresses these issues on the basis of a case study regarding a proposal for a “territorial platform”, named Ti-Bre, between the Brenner axis and the Tuscany harbour system, in Italy. This is a new connection which may change traditional transport flows, challenging regional and sectoral visions and plans as well as territorial cooperation processes, and requiring appropriate assessment of environmental and economic sustainability.