Impacts of Integration Processes on Networks and Flows

Transport networks reflect the political context, namely the capacity to trade. Prior to an economic integration process (such as a free trade agreement) networks tended to service their respective national economies with flows representing this structure (limited crossborder flows). With economic integration, the structure of transportation networks is modified with new crossborder linkages. Flows can also be modified and see their reorientation. In some cases, there could be a relative decline of national flows and a comparative growth of crossborder flows.