Modelling Geohistorical Accessibility in the Long Run: The Growth of the Waterway’s Network

Christophe Mimeur, CY Cergy Paris University
Thomas Thevenin, ThéMA - University of Bourgogne Franche Comté
Patrick Mille, ThéMA - University of Bourgogne Franche Comté
Isabelle Seguy, INED

Historical GIS are common tools used in social sciences. They allow to inventory spatial objects over time and to make space a real determinant in the analysis in the long run. Often the projects are focusing on the collect and we aim here to focus on data analysis. The succession of transportation networks is the way to revive economic geography through spatially linked population and occupational data. In the long run it consists of empirical analyses to assess the role of geohistorical accessibility in the local development. Our research project aims to offer a multimodal analysis since the 19th century to question the regional development in France face to the growth of transportation networks. Railways and roads are common studied networks, by using graph theory to identify structural properties of networks. In order to take into account more networks, which was carrying persons and goods, we have built an HGIS to retrace waterways since the late 18th century. In the beginning of the period, each watersheds is isolated until the digging of canals has built a connected network. We make the hypothesis the waterway’s network was not homogenous and it requires to add qualitative attributes translating the variety of gauges. This communication asks the contribution of network theory to better characterize the growth of waterways in France. Firstly, it will show the strategies of acquisition and structuration of the database. Then it will discuss the way to assess speed along the waterway’s network: sluices, direction, size, ports, …

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 Presented in Session 149. Regional Development and Inequality