Abstract:
This thesis examines the urban development in Lao Peoples Democratic Republic due to the improvement of the Greater Mekong Sub-region integrated land transport network. The objective is to measure the extent of the urban structural changes that have taken place, especially in two main provinces, namely, Vientiane Capital and Savannakhet Province due to the impact of the improvement of the integrated land transport network during the last three decades. The result of this research should help in understanding the correlation between the integrated land transport network and urban development in the case of a land-linked country. The time-series analysis with the associated indicator called the integrated land transport development phases has been created to understand the evolution of the transport network itself and to analyze the correlation between integrated land transport network and urban development. The integrated land transport development phases indicate the degree of integration of Lao PDR to the international community, which degree of integration depends on the improved cross border facilities, the improved land-linked transport network. Based on the variables of the improved cross border facilities, the improved land-linked transport network in each period, the integration level of Lao PDR development can be logically phased into four distinctive stages with specific features attributable. These analyses revealed that the population agglomeration and urban development was closely correlated to the improvements in the integrated land transport network in each time frame. The results of the analysis showed that the integrated land transport network has impacted on economic growth, population agglomeration and urban development process in Lao PDR. The improved integrated land transport has accelerated the economic growth as well as and provided equal economic opportunities across the country reflected in the increased tendency of the equalization of annual population growth rate distribution throughout the country during the last three decades. The outcomes of this research certainly reflect the effectiveness of the GMS initiatives for regional economic cooperation which include: policies, agreements, infrastructure and services supporting increased cross border trade and tourism, and they have been especially important in the development of the North-South and East West Economic Corridors (NSEC and EWEC).