Access to information and synthesis of advanced knowledge form critical success conditions for a knowledge society. This also holds for regional development and infrastructure. Rotterdam exemplifies a region that benefits from a longstanding openness as a seaport serving large parts of Europe. Nowadays, Rotterdam is facing increased competition with seaports serving the same areas. An answer to this situation is to expand the port area, in such a way that new demands for land for port activity can immediately be satisfied. This policy is based on the old logic of mass transport and mass manufacturing. Critics prefer a structural shift to innovative activities focusing on added value, a policy line that requires an improved use of the learning capability in the region. This chapter shows that new policies including a radical turn in development may face resistance from traditional forces.

This paper examines the extent to which the main objectives of the European Common Transport Policy (CTP) are complementary. A total of six scenarios are constructed, reflecting three different policy, objectives and two futures for Europe. The three policy objectives considered are economic efficiency, regional development and environmental protection. The two assumptions about the future of the EU (called external frameworks) are `co-operation'--which assumes greater harmonizaton of European polides and actions, expansion of the EU and a high social acceptance of policy measures--and 'polarization', which presents more or less opposite developments. The outcomes of each scenario are examined using a selection of indicators to represent the main impacts. It is concluded that to some extent there is complementarity, between environmental and efficiency objectives, while there is little complementarity with regional development objectives.