Around and about motorway nodes: Infrastructures and crossed territories intensified bonds

Conceived for linking towns, cities, regions and counties in the fastest way, motorways have a short story compared to roads and streets that contribute to shaping territories and fabrics over centuries. Nevertheless, the study of the motorways can be highly fruitful if referred not only to its technical dimension but also to the spatial one, especially to the relation between route and crossed territories. Motorways can be a fascinating lens for studying territories and their evolution over time in the last century, both from the lanes toward the surrounding areas and the other way around. However, motorways have an unusual relationship with time since their layout persists while their components are frequently replaced due to maintenance practices. At the same time, the interest for the motorways also lies in enhancing the relationship between infrastructure and crossed territories, mainly by acting on nodes such as tollbooth, service areas, and stations. These spaces that link the motorway to its surrounding areas can be the object of design experimentation, aiming to promote motorway permeability. In territories such as the Italian one, motorway layout is often tangent to valuable architectures and landscapes that could be reached thanks to specific rest areas and pedestrian paths. At the same time, nodes development can offer the possibility of interconnecting different mobility systems, paying attention to environmental sustainability.