Contemporary urban planning emphasizes the need for practice to be collaborative and communicative. It stresses on the importance of public engagement and participation. To ensure informed participation, planners need to provide relevant information to the public. However, the relevance of that information depends on an understanding of the existing discourse about the issue of interest. My research examined Transit City as a case study to demonstrate how that understanding can be gained. The question that framed the research was: What are the characteristics of discourses surrounding urban planning issues? The research focused on examining media coverage to gain that understanding for two reasons. Firstly, the media are considered to be the main purveyors of public discourse. However, there are limitations in the way they represent issues as this research found. Secondly, the media play an informant role, however imperfectly, on topics that matter. In part, this role gives them their importance and influence. The research examined media discourse surrounding Transit City in 94 articles in National Post, the Toronto Star, CUTA Forum, and Ontario Planning Journal to answer the research question. Discourse analysis was used as a method to investigate the topic under the framework of interpretive policy analysis. The research found that four of the media outlets used discursive practices of representation that highlighted certain themes and excluded others. It also found that the discursive communities that were identified in the media discourse interpreted Transit City differently through their discursive frames that were informed by their interest and responsibility in regards to Transit City and their core belief systems. As such their “argumentative logic” highlighted some aspects of Transit City and excluded others in the debate that ensued. The understanding of such characteristics of discourse can help planners in two ways. First, it informs the planning and the tailoring of messages they relay to discursive communities of various relevance. It allows them to have a stronger participation in the shaping of media discourse and generation of informed debate in the public as well as the professional sphere. Second, it can help planners in developing solutions to address points of controversy and bridge differences among stakeholders effectively in their role as mediators and consensus builders. Both benefits have positive implications in creating informed participation and making the planning process a collaborative and communicative effort.

Läns- och lokaltrafikens branschorganisation Svensk Kollektivtrafik har som mål att år 2020 ha fördubblat kollektivtrafikresandet från 2006 års siffror. En sådan förändring kommer inte att ske av sig självt utan ett målmedvetet arbete kommer att krävas för att göra kollektivtrafiken mer attraktiv. En alltmer aktuell utveckling av kollektivtrafiken är att flera svenska städer har mer eller mindre långtgångna planer på att införa spårvagnstrafik.     Detta examensarbetes syfte är att utreda förutsättningarna för en spårvägsetablering i Västerås Stad.  Arbetet delas in i litteraturstudie, fallstudie, enkätstudie samt intervjustudie. I den inledande litteraturstudien sammanställs allmän information avseende spårvägens utformning, anläggning, kostnader samt finansieringsmöjligheter. Den knyter även an till tidigare studier inom området för att tillvarata nyttiga erfarenheter. I fallstudien undersöks Västerås förutsättningar för spårvagnstrafik. Förutsättningarna används sedan till att upprätta ett systemförslag avseende ett stomlinjesystem för spårvagn med tillhörande drift- och investeringskostnader. I enkätstudien redogörs Västerås invånares inställning till ett hypotetiskt förslag om införande av spårvagnstrafik som en del av stadens kollektivtrafikssystem. Intervjustudien resulterade i att litteraturstudien kunde kompletteras med en i spårvagnsbranschen aktiv aktörs erfarenheter.   Vidare analyseras samtliga studier var för sig och sedan som en enhet. Slutligen presenteras våra egna slutsatser. / County and local traffic trade association Swedish Public Transport Association's goal by 2010 is to double the travel by public transport from 2006 years figures. Such a change will not happen by itself; a systematic effort will be required to create an attractive public transport. A more recent development of public transport is that several Swedish cities have more or less advanced plans to introduce trams.This thesis work aims to investigate the preconditions of a tram establishment in Västerås. The work is divided into literature study, case study, questionnaire survey and interview. The initial literature study summarizes general information regarding light rail design, construction, costs and financing options. The study also ties in with previous studies in the area to gain useful experience. The case study examines Västerås conditions for trams. The conditions are then used to establish a system proposal of a line system for tram with the associated operational and investment costs. The questionnaire study describes Västerås residents attitudes to a hypothetical proposal for the introduction of light rail transit as part of the city's public transport system.  The interview study resulted in the literature study being supplemented by experiences from an active actor within the tram industry. The thesis analyzes all of the studies individually and then as a unit. Finally, the authors’ own conclusions are presented.

The theoretical structure of the study is composed of understanding the life cycle of metro system classified in three evolutionary phases. These process definitions respectively start with demand related to metro, continue with the acceptance of metro as the preferential alternative by inhabitants and end with the subway that embedded as an important reason that build city identity. Phases will be studied through its motives and will be analyzed through physical design considerations. The reason of the prevision is stemmed from the hypothetical approach which is stated as the influences of the design considerations of metro utilities are highly related on its life cycle and in forming local identity. The test of the hypothesis will be handled in two methods. The first will be a survey study which will include checklist to portraiture demand and course of the system in first two stages. At the preliminary stage, the topics of underground, underground use and the history of railway and urban railway network in world and Turkey are discussed to get a better and more comprehensive understanding of metro. Next method is designed to cross-examine design considerations and local identity by value judgment analysis for the last stage. In this phase, validity of the hypothesis will be audited by correspondence analysis. Value judgments depended assertion and expression of values which reached by correspondence analysis and Bertin Graphs, are accepted as the determinations that addresses the relationship between physical structure and local identity. The evaluation of the metro&rsquo / s physical qualifications during its life cycle, which can be noted under several headings and the relationship between the physical aspects and those of the local characteristics, are proposed to be put forth as contributions by this thesis.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a relatively new mode with a wide range of applications that are still not well understood. Its explosive growth in developing and developed countries has increased its exposure but has led to mostly experimental implementation with mixed results. Therefore, better understanding about the reasons behind BRT implementation success and shortcomings is needed. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the state of BRT planning under different contexts by assessing how background theory and practical implementation of BRT systems compare. The scope is limited to current a detailed evaluation of 13 case studies in the United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador chosen to represent some of the most succesful and established systems in the world. Data was obtaiend from previous research as well as direct reporting from agencies. The evaluation is performed through qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative methods classify BRT systems by characteristics and assess the relationship between their implementation and performance using the criteria defined in the literature. Quantitative methods build upon the previous analysis to more precisely assess their performance from both the users' and the transit providers' perspectives. This research found that BRT as a public transit mode has a large room of improvement in terms of design and implementation, since there is a significant variability in performance under similar conditions and a considerable gap between planning best practices and implementation. Also, that planning guidelines are still in an early stage of development and difer in scope and application to a particular context. It also found that its success is not conscribed to developing countries, but that its wide range of applications need to be better adapted to the context they should serve. The findings are significant because they dispel myths about the real potential of BRT and partially identify the reasons behind successes and failures of current systems, such as understimation of implementation times and lack of knowledge about component integration. Further research should approach these issues mainly in two complementary directions. First, it should focus on expanding the case study approach to the newer systems in operation once better data is available. Second,it should further advance the development of theoretical framwork for better operational design based on urban form, as well as an evaluation framework that puts more emphasis on user experience and sustainability. Finally, the findings reinforce that BRT is a distinct mode so that systems that do not meet its criteria should not be named as such.

Contemporary urban planning emphasizes the need for practice to be collaborative and communicative. It stresses on the importance of public engagement and participation. To ensure informed participation, planners need to provide relevant information to the public. However, the relevance of that information depends on an understanding of the existing discourse about the issue of interest. My research examined Transit City as a case study to demonstrate how that understanding can be gained. The question that framed the research was: What are the characteristics of discourses surrounding urban planning issues? The research focused on examining media coverage to gain that understanding for two reasons. Firstly, the media are considered to be the main purveyors of public discourse. However, there are limitations in the way they represent issues as this research found. Secondly, the media play an informant role, however imperfectly, on topics that matter. In part, this role gives them their importance and influence. The research examined media discourse surrounding Transit City in 94 articles in National Post, the Toronto Star, CUTA Forum, and Ontario Planning Journal to answer the research question. Discourse analysis was used as a method to investigate the topic under the framework of interpretive policy analysis. The research found that four of the media outlets used discursive practices of representation that highlighted certain themes and excluded others. It also found that the discursive communities that were identified in the media discourse interpreted Transit City differently through their discursive frames that were informed by their interest and responsibility in regards to Transit City and their core belief systems. As such their “argumentative logic” highlighted some aspects of Transit City and excluded others in the debate that ensued. The understanding of such characteristics of discourse can help planners in two ways. First, it informs the planning and the tailoring of messages they relay to discursive communities of various relevance. It allows them to have a stronger participation in the shaping of media discourse and generation of informed debate in the public as well as the professional sphere. Second, it can help planners in developing solutions to address points of controversy and bridge differences among stakeholders effectively in their role as mediators and consensus builders. Both benefits have positive implications in creating informed participation and making the planning process a collaborative and communicative effort.

[pt] A escolha da cidade do Rio de Janeiro como sede da Olimpíada de 2016 trouxe a necessidade de realização de diversos projetos de infraestrutura de transportes. Um destes projetos envolveu a revitalização da zona portuária, conhecido como Projeto Porto Maravilha, e entre as melhorias projetadas estava a implantação de um novo modal de transportes sobre trilhos, o VLT Carioca. Este trabalho analisa o projeto em regime de parceria público-privada do VLT Carioca na zona portuária da cidade do Rio de Janeiro através da teoria de opções reais. O objetivo do estudo é determinar o retorno esperado do projeto para o consórcio vencedor da licitação, analisar o impacto dos incentivos governamentais para o parceiro privado e os custos totais do projeto para o Estado. A demanda estocástica é modelada por meio do movimento geométrico browniano (MGB), e os resultados indicam que o projeto tem um retorno relativamente pequeno em relação ao investimento inicial, as garantias oferecidas pela Prefeitura aumentam o valor do projeto e a realização do projeto sob a modalidade de parceria público-privada traz para o parceiro público uma economia de aproximadamente 50 por cento do valor total. / [en] The choice of the city of Rio de Janeiro to must the 2016 Olympics games brought the need to carry out transportation infrastructure projects. One of these projects involved the revitalization of the port area, known as the Porto Maravilha Project. One of the improvements projected was a new modal rail transport, the VLT Carioca. This paper analyzes the public-private partnership project VLT Carioca in port area of Rio de Janeiro city using real options. The purpose of this study is to determine the expected return of project for winning bidding consortium, analyzing the impact of government incentives to private partner, and the total costs to state. Stochastic demand is modeled as a Brownian geometric motion (GBM). The results indicate that the project has a small return on the initial investment, the guarantees offered by government increase the value of the project and the realization of the project under the public-private partnership modality brings to the public partner a gain of economy approximately 50 percent of the value.

Within the past few decades, commuter rail routes in several major metropolitan areas have been implemented to provide an alternative to automobile transportation. Urban planners in these cities are looking to commuter rail to mitigate congestion and pollution. However, research on the impacts of commuter rail development on the surrounding retail landscape is still needed. In metropolitan Dallas-Fort Worth, the Denton County Transportation Authority recently opened its new A-Train light rail service linking suburban Denton and downtown Dallas. This thesis examines urban changes that occurred in the years before and after the A-Train line's 2011 opening, with a focus on restaurant and retail development in the vicinity of the A-Train stations in Denton County. This analysis evaluates changes in retail density and type, the population surrounding stations, and municipal initiatives that shape the retail landscape of station vicinities. This was done by gathering field data, retailer listings, population data, and conducting interviews with local businesses and city planners. The findings suggest that A-train stations have had a differential impact on the surrounding landscape, depending on the existing retail landscape, the types of retailers present, and the current state of municipal infrastructure that promotes accessibility. Overall, results suggest that urban planners play a vital role in harnessing the potential of commuter rail to promote nearby retail growth.

This study examines potential transportation improvements in the Elysian Fields Avenue Corridor, and the benefit that these improvements may produce. Data for the study area are compiled and analyzed. Conceptual plans for the implementation of different transit technology alternatives were developed and assessed in terms of user benefits, cost, potential land use impacts, potential economic impacts, and feasibility. Case studies and relevant literature are reviewed. The intent of this thesis is to provide an overview of the study area prior and subsequent to Hurricane Katrina, develop plans for the implementation of transit alternatives in the Elysian Fields Avenue Corridor, and assess potential costs and benefits of the different alternatives developed.

戰後台灣中小企業的歷史源頭為何?其跟戰前台人資本存在什麼辯證關係?可以說是本土化研究興起以來台灣經濟史主要課題之一，已有不少學者嘗試從中小工廠領域切入，一方面跟矢內原忠雄與凃照彥等兩位重量級學者對話，一方面則試圖挖掘出五大家族以來之一般中小地主或商人在資本主義化的脈絡之下資本積累的過程。不過，也並非所有研究者都同意戰後台灣中小企業能夠蓬勃發展，乃是以戰前台人資本之積累為基礎。 　　本文同樣以此問題意識出發，但有別於既有研究成果主要以中小工廠為作為分析對象，從而強調台人資本積累過程「自主性」的一面，並普遍以政權遞嬗為研究斷限。本文則擬以較具經營規模且位於近代部門的交通業為個案，就台人資本積累過程如何跟國家權力連結展開論述，並側重於台人資本如何學習殖民者所引進的資本主義制度、特別是以資本核算(盈餘保留跟固定資產折舊)為主軸之近代企業經營概念。同時，本文還將採取跨政權研究途徑(approach)，就戰前台人資本所進行之資本積累與養成之近代企業經營能力，如何成為渡過戰後接收期乃至投入中小企業的重要憑藉提出一理論性分析。 本文首先發現所謂台/日資或殖民者/被殖民者等二元對立框架，不足以解釋戰前台灣經濟結構，台人資本積累過程乃存在跟殖民者有所連結的一面。此一跟國家權力的連結，也延續到戰後。 基本上，交通業作為特許行業本應由國家經營以避免被獨佔壟斷，但作為後進資本主義國之日本，從明治維新以降即在國家力量不足的前提下，透過強烈監督與保護手段讓民間資本代行國家發展交通，官方與交通業者間存在特殊互動模式。日本領有殖民地台灣後更由於本國資本主義尚未確立，因此持續仰賴民間資本經營作為地方交通主力的民營鐵道與公路運輸，不過此時被仰賴的對象主要為台人資本，該業台人資本也就在台灣總督府協助之下進行資本積累。 台人資本透過交通業也廣泛運用了殖民者所引進的近代企業制度。由於交通業本來就具有資本密集性(capital-intensive)與固定資本(fixed capital)比重高之特徵，必須採行較具規模的經營型態，台人資本在交通業乃高比例的運用股份有限公司(日文稱株式會社)，從而交通業跟既有前人研究成果主要關懷之中小民營工廠(主要業種為農業、農產加工業與輕工業)就存在本質上的差異。 在交通業台人資本高比例運用近代企業制度的前提之下，本文進一步發現單純從文化面角度來檢討台人資本為何存在優異企業經營能力恐怕有所不足。也就是說，移民社會特質與發達的合股組織固然是台人資本參與資本主義的基礎，但能否落實以資本核算(盈餘保留跟固定資產折舊)為主軸之近代企業制度，或許具備更關鍵的地位。因為移民社會特質雖然能讓台人企業展現出冒險、進取的一面，清代以降發達的合股組織則讓台人資本較容易習慣近代市場經濟的運作，但台人企業要能展現出「永續經營」的特質，還是必須建構出建全的資產結構與財務狀況。 最後，本文主張戰後台灣中小企業仍然是以戰前台人資本為基礎。雖然既有研究成果亦多持一學術見解，但他們未能充分論證台人資本如何渡過1937年中日戰爭以降至1949年國民政府遷台為止這段政經局勢激烈動盪的時期。相較於此，交通業台人資本則能一定程度填補此一空白。首先，台人資本在該業不僅未全面從屬於日資或被其消滅，反而基於交通統制讓原本散落各地的台人資本獲得整合、經營規模獲得擴張，從而增強其資本力量。這些以州廳為單位並仍由台人資本所主導的交通統制企業，在戰後更直接轉型為地方客貨運業，從而存在非常直接而明確的延續性。 其次，近代企業制度落實乃至交通業關聯產業開啟，都在這一階段獲得實現。就前者而言，即如上述，日本乃是後進資本主義國，資本核算制度發展腳步緩慢，這導致戰時體制成為其確立的關鍵階段，亦即國家利用各種統制手段強迫企業採行標準的商業會計(特別是固定資產折舊的計算)。尤其，交通業作為重點統制產業之一，該業資本核算制度是否確立也就更受到殖民政府重視。再就後者而言，交通業本質上跟傳統部門不同已如上述，在歐美與日本皆扮演著推動產業革命的重要角色，台人資本也就有可能透過該業往近代部門移動，這一方面表現在機械動力的接觸；另一方面則是以該業為媒介，往工業部門邁進，特別是伴隨戰時體制與軍需工業化所開啟的車輛維護、修繕產業等關聯產業更具指標性意義。 總而言之，戰前到戰後台人資本積累過程乃存在一連鎖機制，即「非機械力的輕便鐵道→嘗試蒸氣動力與電力(並投入電力部門) →機械力的汽車運輸→新興機械製造與化學→地方客貨運業→中小企業」。這中間當然不會是一線性發展姿態，毋寧經歷諸多波折，但基本繼承關係仍然可以被尋得。 / What were the historical sources of the small and medium-sized enterprises in Taiwan after the war? What was the dialectical relationship between them and the capital existence in Taiwan before the war? It has been one of the main topics in Taiwanese economy history since the rise of the research of localization, and a few scholars tried to cut in through the small and medium-sized factories. On one hand, they opened the conversation with two key prominent scholars, Yanaihara Tadao and Chao-Yen Tu, and on the other hand, they tried to dig out the capital accumulation process from the general small and medium landlords or businessmen under the sequence of ideas of capitalism after Taiwanese five key families. However, not all of the researchers agreed that the reason why the small and medium-sized enterprises in Taiwan could be rising and flourishing after the war was because of the foundation of the capital accumulated by Taiwanese people before the war. This research started with the same question concepts, but with different object of the study from the past research results, which was only used small and medium-sized factories as the study object, and emphasized the “independence” side of Taiwanese capital accumulation process; they generally cut the time of the research period when there was any state power changed or transferred. Instead of that, this study planned to use transportation industry as the study case, discussed from how Taiwanese capital accumulation process linked to national power, and then laid special emphasis on how Taiwanese capital accumulation process learnt from capitalism that the colonialists brought in; especially, the operation concept of the modern enterprises which gave priority to capital accounting (retained earnings and assets depreciation). Furthermore, the study adopted cross-political power research approach and discussed how Taiwanese capital accumulation before the war and the management capacity development of the modern enterprises became the important basis of passing through the take-over period to throw into the small and medium-sized enterprises. A theoretical analysis was addressed here. The study first found the binary opposition framework of so-called Taiwanese investment/ Japanese investment or colonialists / natives was not sufficient to explain economy structure in Taiwan before the war. Taiwanese capital accumulation process was existed on one aspect which linked to the colonialists, and this linkage to national power lasted to postwar. Basically speaking, transportation industry as a franchising sector should be run by the nation to avoid monopoly; Japan, as a later emerging capitalism country, allowed private capital to develop the nation’s transportation industry though intense supervision and protection by the government because the insufficient national power after Meiji restoration; there was a special interaction model between the official and transportation dealers. After occupying Taiwan, Japan continued relying on private capital to develop local transportation such as privately-run railway and road transportation due to it hadn’t established its capitalism firmly. Nothing but Taiwanese capital was the subject which was dependent on at that moment, the capital accumulation of the Taiwanese capital for this industry proceeded under the assistance of Taiwanese Governor General’s Office. Through transportation industry, Taiwanese capital widely applied modern enterprise system brought into by the colonialists. Transportation industry featured high proportion of capital-intensive and fixed capital, and it needed to run in large-scaled operation types. Taiwanese capital used high-proportion of limited liability companies ((ka bu si ki gai sya in Japanese), and it showed the essential difference from the small and medium-sized factories (mainly agriculture, agriculture product processing and light industry) that pervious research focused on. Under the precondition that Taiwanese capital highly used modern enterprise system in transportation industry, the study further revealed that it was not enough to only examine why Taiwanese capital existed excellent enterprise management capacity from cultural aspect. That was to say, the social characteristic of immigration and the prosperous cooperated organizations were the foundation of Taiwanese capital joining capitalism, but whether it could fulfill modern enterprise system which gave priority to capital accounting (retained earnings and assets depreciation) played an even more significant role. Although the social characteristic of immigration presented the adventure and aggressiveness of Taiwanese enterprises, the prosperous cooperated organizations after Ching Dynasty helped Taiwanese capital get used to the operation of modern market economy easily. However, only when constructing sound assets structure and financial status, Taiwanese enterprises could show the quality of “sustainable operation”. In the end, the study claimed that the small and medium-sized enterprises in Taiwan after the war were still based on the Taiwanese capital before the war. Though the current research results mostly held the same academic view, they couldn’t fully approve how Taiwanese capital passed through the war of resistance against the Japanese in 1937 to National Government retrieved to Taiwan in 1949, the intensive political turbulent period of time. Compared to this, Taiwanese capital in transportation industry could fill the gap in a certain level. First, Taiwanese capital in transportation industry instead of subordinating to or being eliminated by Japanese investment, it integrated the Taiwanese capital spread out in different places and expanded the operation scale on the basis of transportation governing system; its capital strength increased as a result. The transportation governing enterprises which were managed by states but guided by Taiwanese capital directly transformed into local transportation carriers, and it showed extremely direct and clear continuity. Second, the fulfillment of the modern enterprise system and the starting of the relevant industries of transportation industry were implemented during this stage. In terms of the former, as what mentioned above, Japan was a later emerging capitalism country, and its development of capital accounting was slow; this led the system used during the war become the key stage of the development establishment, which meant that government used different governing methods to force the enterprises followed the standard business accounting (especially the calculation of assets depreciation). Moreover, transportation industry was one of the important governing enterprises, and it drew more colonialist government’s attention on whether the capital accounting system had been established in the industry. As for the latter, we talked about the essential difference between transportation industry and other traditional industries, and the transportation industry played an important role in pushing industry revolution in Europe, America, and Japan so that it was with great possibility that Taiwanese capital moved towards modern industries through transportation industry. This could be seen on the contact with mechanical kinetics on one side, and on the other side, it marched towards industry. The indicative meaning of this was presented on the relevant enterprises, especially the vehicle maintenance and repair incident to the system during the war and the industrialization for Army. In conclusion, the chain mechanism existed in the Taiwanese capital accumulation process from prewar to postwar, and it was “non-machinery light railway the attempt on steam powered and electricity (also invested electricity industry) machinery vehicle transportation new and developing machinery manufacture and chemistry local transportation carriers small and medium-sized enterprises”. Of course, the development was not a straight line process, and there were some obstacles in the way; however, the basic successive relationship could still be tracked.

Cette thèse s'intéresse à la spectaculaire diffusion du tramway dans les villes françaises et européennes. Pour comprendre le phénomène du point de vue des processus décisionnels à l'oeuvre, l'objet est envisagé sous trois états successifs : solution, projet, produit final. L'analyse porte dans un premier temps sur la "réinvention" de la solution dans les années 1970 en France. Puis, le regard se déplace sur trois villes ayant fini par s'équiper d'un tramway : Marseille, Dublin et Grenoble. Pour comprendre l'appropriation comme les nombreuses oppositions, la focale est positionnée sur les arguments justificatifs/critiques échangés au sein des trois systèmes d'acteurs correspondants. Il apparaît que dans un premier temps, le tramway est essentiellement envisagé comme une solution de transport, objectivée et rationnelle. Or, à partir des années 1990, l'argumentaire justificatif connaît une évolution très notable à Grenoble et Marseille. La solution parvient à agréger un ensemble croissant de vertus, que celles-ci touchent à l'urbanisme, au partage de l'espace public, aux polarisations socio-spatiales ou encore au vote des citoyens-électeurs. À travers cette mutation, le tramway se politise, et convainc plus largement. Ce processus n'est pas étranger à la multiplication des projets en France. Au contraire, le détour par Dublin permet de comprendre quelles difficultés rencontrent les promoteurs d'un tramway cantonné à sa dimension "transport", et comment ces difficultés sont plus ou moins surmontées. / This thesis deals with the success of light rail schemes in French and European cities. It considers successively light rail as a generic policy solution, a spatialised project and a policy output. In such way it questions the "reinvention" of the solution in 1970s France. Then the analysis dwells on three cities : Marseille, Dublin and Grenoble. It focuses on arguments that are exchanged within the corresponding systems of actors. It appears that during a first period, light rail is essentially promoted as a transport solution, framed as rationale and comparable to other public transport modes. However, from the 1990's, supporting discourses evolve dramatically in Grenoble and Marseille. The solution happens to agregate a wider range of « virtues », that is to say admitted qualities concerning new fields of interest : urbanism, the distribution of public realm, socio-spatial polarizations or local elections results. Such an evolution can be interpreted as a form of politicisation. It seems to foster the emergence of new projects in France. On the contrary, the case of Dublin helps to understand the difficulties that are faced by a light rail that remains justified mainly by its "transport" dimension, and how these difficulties are more or less overcome.