The aim of welfare optimal planning of infrastructure is to devise an investment programme that gives a maximum contribution to the development of welfare. For a welfare optimal planning of infrastructure two means are needed: (1) a model for calculating economic and other effects of projects of infrastructure in space and time; and (2) a cost-benefit analysis for evaluating these economic and other effects in terms of social costs and benefits. On the basis of these two means, it is explained how a welfare optimal planning of infrastructure can be given a practical content. As a concrete example six projects for enlargement of the capacity of the motorway network in the Dutch province of Limburg are taken into account. This method is also appropriate for application to other forms of infrastructure as rail and waterways. (A)
Samenvatting