State of the Art of Sustainable Development of Railway Nodes: The High Speed Rail (HSR)

Abstract

High Speed Rail (HSR) is a new mode of transport and has a significant impact on the territory. The urban plan, in respect of the technical standards set by the rules, does not provide any indication for the inclusion of an important node in the territory, such as a station of an HSR line. Even the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) designed for metropolitan areas, in their strategic choices, often do not give indications on the HSR. It therefore happens that the territories are distorted by the effects caused by the location of such an important infrastructural node. Furthermore, the stations of the HSR are designed by “archi-star” architects who give a significant formal and visual mark on the territory. The paper underlines the importance of HSR through the analysis of two case studies, the effects that HSR cause on the territory. The first case of the Mediopadana High Speed Rail station in Reggio Emilia analyses the impact caused on a moderately anthropized territory. The second case of the High Speed Rail station of Naples Afragola analyses the impact caused on a highly anthropized territory. The analysis of these two projects concludes with considerations regarding the opportunity of an integrated urban and transport planning.