The discussion about the impact of the construction of new transport infrastructure on economic growth has been going on in scientific journals for decades. The objective of the article is to assess the importance of the development of transport infrastructure for regional development in Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC). The analysis mainly concerns investments made with the support of European Union structural funds. Particular attention was paid to transport relations between the major metropolises. It is assumed that they perform the functions of growth poles and generate the diffusion of development processes also into the peripheral area. In addition, a study of changes in potential accessibility in road transport was carried out. The temporal scope of the study covers a period of 12 years, when the scale of new investment was greatest. The results thus obtained are set against a backdrop of economic development indices (changes in GDP over the period under study). The study confirmed that the impact on economic development mainly takes place at the beginning of the development of the transport infrastructure. On this basis, a dynamic spatial sequence proposal was formulated regarding the dependence between investments in infrastructure and the development of regions and metropolises.
The recent developments of the economic theory suggest that due attention to territorial context increases efficiency and improves delivery of the policies. This in turn calls for better linkages between spatial and socio-economic efforts. The paper analyses the concept of policy territorialization and proposes policy tools for that purpose. The relevant theoretical models are used, mainly evolutionary economics and new economic geography. The key outcome is a set of territorial keys supposed to enhance territorial approach in developmental policies. Also some plausible ways of making use of those keys are proposed and then tested using Polish territory as a case study.