European growth corridors that follow the key transportation networks have been portrayed as frameworks for meta-governing spatial development, highlighting the role of evidence – and data – in their planning processes.
This paper introduces comprehensive approach for identifying new and existing big data sources that can be utilised in analysing territorial interrelations to promote integrated territorial policy development in the European growth corridors.
While the approach integrates all three topics of the conference – territorial interrelations, integrated territorial development and new data sources -- this paper will focus on identifying available data sources, which may prove to be viable in reflecting new territorial interrelations and development potential.
A new conceptual framework is developed that serves as a tool for seeking new data sources with high potential usefulness in diverse scales of territorial development. Starting from a conceptualisation of corridors as meta-governance frameworks with multiple spaces in which actors and materials interact and flow, this framing tool aims to support identification of datasets capable of capturing diverse development practices sectorally, spatially, and between multiple actors involved in the spatial development of corridors, with multiple levels of access.
The conceptual framework builds on the geographical conceptualisation of space as absolute, relative and relational, which here describe physical, social, and digital aspects of corridor development (e.g. transportation flows, social and intellectual networks, services).
Within these categories, case studies are selected to further explore potentials of new available data sources. The case studies focus on exploring the possibilities of passive mobile positioning data; economic driving forces such as the flows of development investments and changes in (EU-level) project network functionalities; and explaining fluctuation levels of national transport and commuting.
Our main interest lies in those data sets that could be harnessed and combined to analyse the functionalities of growth corridors in the trans-European scale.