Vägperiodens

Vägperiodens is a term used in Swedish-language transport and planning discourse to refer to a defined era in the development and management of road networks. The phrase combines the word väg (road) with periodens, the genitive form of period, and is used by scholars, policymakers, and planners to frame discussions about the evolution of road provision, regulation, and governance. It is not a fixed historical interval; its exact boundaries vary by author and national context.

Concept and scope: In practice, Vägperiodens is invoked to highlight a phase characterized by intensified road construction, reform of road administration, and shifts in policy toward accessibility and mobility. Depending on the source, this could point to mid-20th-century modernization drives, postwar expansion of highways, or late-20th-century reform efforts focusing on safety, maintenance, and multimodal transport planning. The term is often employed to distinguish this era from earlier routes and from periods dominated by other transport modes.

Usage and interpretation: The term appears in transport history, infrastructure policy analyses, and regional planning studies as a way to analyze how road networks shape urban form, regional development, and everyday mobility. Critics of road-centric narratives note the environmental and social trade-offs associated with expansive road building, such as noise, emissions, and urban sprawl, and frequently advocate integrating road planning with public transit, cycling, and sustainability goals.

Etymology: From Swedish väg, road, and periodens, the genitive form of period. See also road infrastructure, transportation planning, and urban development.