This paper focuses on the road transport system of a mountain area of a lagging region: Aspromonte, in Calabria (Italy). Particularly, it focuses on the case of a new road infrastructure recently build and opened which connects Aspromonte with the city of Reggio Calabria and the Strait of Messina area (urban-rural linkage).
Aspromonte is a mountain area with a low level of economic development. Average income is lower than the provincial, regional and national average. Taxable income per capita in the Aspromonte municipalities in 2021 amounted to 7,900 euros, 21% lower than that of the metropolitan city of Reggio Calabria, 16% lower than that of Calabria, and almost half lower than the national one (Source: Istat). The density of business is 48 units per 1000 inhabitants, while in the metropolitan city it is 60, in Calabria 65 and in Italy 83.
The low level of economic development and the lack of job opportunities caused depopulation. Aspromonte has undergone a massive depopulation phenomenon since the end of the second world war. From 1951 to 2021 it lost about 50% of its population, going from about 120k to 60k inhabitants, due to outmigration to other areas of the region and the country.
Does a new road infrastructure have the potential to boost economic development in such mountain area? We will discuss this case, based on relevant empirical evidence.