Connectivity

Abstract

SPATIAL CONNECTIVITY AND ITS IMPORTANCE FOR EUROPE The Danube - the second longest river in Europe, of 2,858 km length - crosses 10 countries with various historical, cultural, political and economic evolutions and features. In this territorial context, the river plays both the role of a separating physical boundary, largely placed on frontiers segments, and of a common denominator, a natural entity that provide fluvial landscape and accessibility across the entire European corridor it crosses. The latter two assets are partially capitalized by some of the localities along the river, but they are still little exploited resources, especially in the eastern territories along the Danube course, development of which was hampered by the geo-political and economic context of the second half of the 20th century.