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Scientific paper ID 2783 : 2026/1
REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY AS TERRITORIAL CAPITAL
Georgi Nikolov Regional connectivity is a significant factor in regional development, as it determines the opportunities available to the population and economic actors to access markets, employment, public services, and national and international transport networks. The aim of this article is to examine the place of regional connectivity within the structure of territorial capital and its significance for regional development in Bulgaria. The study is based on theoretical analysis, a comparative approach, and the analysis of official statistical and strategic data. It advances the argument that transport infrastructure constitutes the material basis of connectivity, whereas regional connectivity represents the functional outcome of its use and may be regarded as an activating component of territorial capital. The analysis shows that the territorial impact of transport investments depends not only on the availability and capacity of infrastructure, but also on its ability to improve accessibility and integrate regional resources into functional networks. In the Bulgarian context, this implies that transport investments should also be assessed in terms of their contribution to internal connectivity, territorial integration, and the reduction of regional disparities.
регионална свързаност териториален капитал транспортна инфраструктура достъпност регионално развитие TEN-Tregional connectivity territorial capital transport infrastructure accessibility regional development TEN-TGeorgi Nikolov BIBLIOGRAPHY [1] Camagni, R., Territorial Capital and Regional Development, in Capello, R., Nijkamp, P. (eds.), Handbook of Regional Growth and Development Theories, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp. 118–132, 2009. [2] Camagni, R., Capello, R., Regional Competitiveness and Territorial Capital: A Conceptual Approach and Empirical Evidence from the European Union, Regional Studies, Vol. 47, No. 9, pp. 1383–1402, 2013. [3] Orsi, F., Cavaco, C., Gil, J., From Territorial Capital to Regional Design: A Multidimensional Model for Territorial Analysis and Scenario Evaluation, Planning Practice & Research, Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 116–135, 2023. [4] Barca, F., McCann, P., Rodríguez-Pose, A., The Case for Regional Development Intervention: Place-Based versus Place-Neutral Approaches, Journal of Regional Science, Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 134–152, 2012. [5] European Union, Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on Union Guidelines for the Development of the Trans-European Transport Network, Official Journal of the European Union, 2024. [6] Medeiros, E., Regional Connectivity through an Adequate Transport Infrastructure, European Parliament, Policy Department for Structural and Cohesion Policies, Brussels, 2024. [7] European Commission, Connecting Europe Facility – Transport, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, Brussels. [8] European Commission, Rhine–Danube European Transport Corridor, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, Brussels. [9] OECD, OECD Economic Surveys: Bulgaria 2021, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2021. [10] OECD, Decentralisation and Regionalisation in Bulgaria: Towards Balanced Regional Development, OECD Multi-level Governance Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2021. [11] Hermansen, M., Reducing Regional Disparities for Inclusive Growth in Bulgaria, OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No. 1663, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2021. [12] European Commission, Strategic Transport Framework – Bulgaria, Recovery and Resilience Facility, Brussels. [13] OECD, Unlocking the Potential of Intermediary Cities for Regional Development, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2026. [14] OECD, Enhancing Compactness, Connectivity and Accessibility in Korea, OECD Urban Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2025. |
