As the demand for a more inclusive society increases, fair access to transport has become a pressing issue, especially in rural areas where mobility is under increasing pressure. This thesis investigates how equity in transport can be meaningfully included in the decision-making processes of transport projects in sparsely populated regions of the Netherlands. Focusing on the MIRT (Multi-Year Programme for Infrastructure, Spatial Planning and Transport), the study applies the concept of broad welfare, which includes not only economic outcomes but also social, environmental and health dimensions. Rural regions continue to face limited transport options, increasing the risk of social exclusion, transport poverty and regional decline. Through a qualitative, multi-method approach combining literature and policy analysis, stakeholder mapping and interviews with twelve Dutch transport planning experts, this research identifies key barriers to embedding equity: conceptual vagueness, limited political prioritisation, fragmented governance and a lack of practical tools. The findings underline the importance of including equity from the earliest planning stages and highlight the role of political support and institutional clarity. Financial barriers, particularly for smaller municipalities, worsen regional inequalities. In response, the thesis proposes a long-term strategy towards a national framework for transport equity. This includes a standard definition of transport equity, better coordination between different levels of government, refined evaluation methods such as cost-benefit analysis, multi-criteria analysis and participatory value evaluation, and improved funding mechanisms. By adapting the MIRT process to embed equity, the Netherlands can move from fragmented recognition to concrete, equitable transport networks. ... Read more

Playa Unión and Puerto Rawson are facing severe coastal erosion and increasingly the negative effects. Since the first half of the 20th century there have been signs of erosion, but also of sedimentation. However, the coastline in the project area is retreating over the years. The situation has recently been declared an emergency. Furthermore, there are several expansion plans for the port consisting of new quay walls and dredging. It is unsure if these plans will influence the erosion. In this report, the following research question is formed: ”What are valued, preferably nature-based, interventions that can mitigate the coastal erosion in Playa Unión and Puerto Rawson considering the planned expansion of the port?” Due to the limited information and data available, assumptions have been made during the research. A site analysis and a CoastSat analysis are conducted to research the morphology of the coastline and its drivers. The coast has been shaped into a steep upper section of coarse granular material and a gentle lower slope with finer material. The main driver of longshore sediment transport in the area are swell waves, with predominant directions SSE and E. This transport is directed from south to north, resulting in the inflow and outflow of sediments. Furthermore, there is a sediment flow from the Chubut river. Due to the construction of the port’s breakwaters, the longshore sediment transport is interrupted, which causes an imbalance in the sediment flow in the system. More sediment flows out of the system than enters, causing coastal erosion. The development of the port contains public as well as private expansion plans and maintenance dredging. The expansion plans will have little effect on its surroundings. The private plan include a parallel breakwater, which alters the natural balance in the area and dredging works, for which the stability of the existing breakwaters has to be figured out. A stakeholder analysis was done to get insights in the opinions and visions of the stakeholders. This was done by interviewing stakeholders and by doing a questionnaire, resulting in a power-interest grid and overview of interests and attitudes. The boundary conditions for the interventions and criteria for the multi-criteria analysis are partly formulated as a result of the stakeholder analysis. The following interventions were considered in this report: • Permeable pile groynes and low crested groynes
• Opening the northern breakwater: opening and reshaping with a curve, constructing tunnels underneath the breakwater and a sediment bypass
• Port expansion and a sediment bypass with power supply southern of the port
• Dredging and moving sediment
• Sediment trap
• Plant vegetation with beach nourishment
• Gravel engine
• Temporary longitudinal flood barrier as a short term intervention.
A conceptual multi-criteria analysis in combination with a nature-based assessment has been conducted to distinguish the most promising interventions in the conceptual design phase. The criteria formulated were effectiveness, easiness of implementation, maintenance, environmental impact and the benefits for recreation. From this, it can be concluded that the gravel engine and the plant vegetation with beach nourishment score the best.
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