This project comprises phase one of an ongoing research project into the relationship between natural and man-made systems in the Pyrenees region of Catalonia. The following graphic analysis illustrates topographic and hydrological features in relation to patterns of human settlement and transport infrastructure.

Phase two will propose strategic interventions to currently existing transportation infrastructure and settlement patterns along the Valira River Valley, a narrow strip of land connecting northern Catalonia, Andorra, and Southern France. The outcome of the project is projected to be a comprehensive plan for development along this corridor with the aim of minimizing the ecological impact of future development.

Phase 1: Regional Analysis
The mountainous topography of northern Catalonia has a profound impact on patterns of settlement and the lines of connection between them. Rivers, primary roadways, and rail corridors all follow the same system of narrow mountain valleys. This network of valley spaces has been inhabited for centuries and any available flat land is utilized with impressive efficiency. Where it is not settled or occupied by transportation infrastructure it is utilized for agriculture, creating in narrow strands of agricultural mat between points of settlement.

The Valira River valley connecting Andorra and La Seu d’Urgell is typical of this valley system, however, there are pressures on this area not yet found in the majority of the network. The success of the tourism industry in Andorra has increased the traffic through this corridor remarkably in the last several decades. La Seu contains a regional airport serving Andorra and is the point of convergence for several highway systems which then bundle and continue northward into Andorra. Consequently, the vast majority of road traffic from Spain enters Andorra through Le Seu and this corridor.

In addition to tourist traffic, many who work in Andorra prefer living in and around La Seu because of its lower cost of living. Furthermore, the only transport infrastructure serving Andorra are its roadways; there is currently no way to enter Andorra via rail or air. This situation is creating a major traffic problem in the crowded valleys of Andorra and northern Spain which can only be relieved through the integration of some alternate form of transportation connecting the two.

While the problem of traffic in this valley is significant, the issue of development is also an important one. Currently, this valley still retains much of its agricultural patchwork between points of dense settlement, however, suburban sprawl can be found at the edges of La Seu and just south of Andorra. If steps to manage the inevitable development of this valley are not taken it may be transformed into a long line of loosely spaced suburban tracts, erasing its unique natural characteristics.