Infrastructure and value creation for local systems: the case of Brescia-Padua A4

First, the correlation between per capita GDP and infrastructural endowment is investigated, at the national level, at the regional level and at the provincial level. A simple regression is then set up at the provincial level in Italy: the role of the highway index is confirmed as significant in explaining economic growth. A case study is then presented: the development of the Brescia-Padua A4 highway in the last 70 years, in parallel with the socio-economic evolution of the provinces where the highway was built (“Alta Padana”). A counterfactual exercise is carried out: the same analysis is undertaken on “Bassa Padana”, a neighboring area where no highway was built. Several themes are analyzed: demography, the value of production, the dynamics of enterprises, tourist attractiveness, quality of life and the environmental sys-tem. It is concluded that the A4 highway has “accompanied” development of the “Alta Padana” area, by fostering its physical and economic interconnec-tion