Forum News 13.4: Where are we now? - The State of Rural Transport and Development

It is fifteen years since the publication Roads are not Enough articulated an emerging vision of rural transport planning. This shifted the emphasis from an exclusive focus on roads to an integrated approach that includes low cost means of transport and the optimal location of services to suit local needs. This extended edition of Forum News traces the evolution of rural transport theory, policy and practice and asks where are we now?

This year for the first time we find ourselves in a world where more people live in urban areas than rural areas, and our cities are increasingly regarded as the engine for growth and development. Our development agenda is guided by the Millennium Development Goals that make no explicit reference to transport. What does this mean for the rural transport sector?

In these articles IFRTD members reflect upon the progress we have made, the gaps that remain and how rural transport issues can remain relevant in the face of changing donor priorities? What emerges is the challenge of an institutional environment that is increasingly tailored to macro-interventions, the need to bridge the gap between rhetoric and practice, and new themes that demand a cross-sectoral approach. Does the rural transport sector need to re- position itself to be heard?

Format: Bulletin
Date: July 2007
Download: Acrobat pdf 360 kb