%0 Journal Article %T Forecast the Impact of Bucharest ¨C Bra ov Highway on the Economic and Functional Structure of Human Settlements in Ilfov County %A C£¿T£¿LINA C£¿RSTEA %A FLORENTINA ION %A PETRONELA NOV£¿CESCU %J Romanian Review of Regional Studies %D 2011 %I Cluj University Press %X One of the most publicized issues concerning the infrastructure of Romania is the Bucharest-Bra ov highway. The long-awaited project aims to streamline the traffic between the Capital and the central part of the country, representing the central area of the Pan - European Road Corridor IV. The length of the highway on the territory of Ilfov County is 31 km, representing 17% of the total length of Bucharest- Bra ov highway. The start of the highway will have strong effects on economic structure and on the way the Bucharest Metropolitan Area will work. We can expect an increase in the disparities between the settlements of Ilfov County. This pattern is also observable on the Bucharest-Ploie ti corridor where, in recent years, much of the Ilfov county's economic activities have migrated to the north, especially along that corridor. Besides economic migration, intense residential migration followed the Bucharest ¨C Ploie ti corridor, residents of the Bucharest itself moving out to the north of Ilfov County. Probably, the future Bucharest ¨C Bra ov highway will lead to an increased suburbanization and periurbanization, this in turn giving way to the crowding of the area by businesses eager to have access to the highway. This project will likely increase the gap between north and south of Ilfov County. In addition to changes that may occur at the county level, changes will also have an impact on the localities themselves since the areas located near the highway will have an economic and demographic growth rate superior to more remote areas. In this sense, we conducted a comparative analysis between eight settlements of Ilfov county crossed by the Bucharest-Bra ov highway in order to assess the impact. This analysis was based on the information obtained from site and statistical indicators that were processed to obtain a clear picture of the situation in the examined territory. %K Regional development %K Urban planning %K Infill development %K National highway %U http://rrrs.reviste.ubbcluj.ro/arhive/Artpdf/v7n12011/RRRS71201110.pdf