The interaction between road network and natural landscape type

Abstract

The construction of new road infrastructure can impact on landform in a number of ways. The type of natural landscape and the terrain or topographical features of the land determines where roads can go and therefore strongly affect road-network structure and pattern. Several ecological impacts of road system occur at much greater levels than the proportion or road surface in the landscape. The main concept in road design is the understanding and the integration of the road network in a broader landscape in order to implement the basic rules of sustainable development. Decisions on design will require environmental constraints to be balanced against cost, but ultimately will be dependent upon engineering feasibility and safety considerations. In the present paper, the interaction and the influence of the properties of different type of landscape such as topography and land use to the road network are examined. © 2007 WIT Press.