Urban Transportation Governance, Accessibility, and Spatial Economic Development: A systematic Review of Spillover Effects in Secondary Cities of Ethiopia

ABSTRACT This paper examines the relationships between urban transport governance, accessibility and spatial economic development in Ethiopia with a focus on spillover effects in secondary cities. It grounded in spatial economic theory and accessibility frameworks, the paper integrates empirical evidence from Ethiopian cities and comparable developing country contexts. Using qualitative analytical approach based on a total of approximately 40 theoretical and empirical studies were systematically reviewed, together with key policy reports and institutional publications, the study finds that transport investments generate significant positive spillover such as market integration, labor mobility, and productivity achievements ,but these effects are uneven due to centralized governance , weak institutional coordination and infrastructure disparities. The study conclude that while, effective urban transportation governance and transportation accessibility have a major impact on spatial economic development, regional disparities in Ethiopia still caused by poor institutional coordination and unequal accessibility. To promote balanced sustainable regional growth, authorities should enhance institutional coordination, strength investment in secondary cities, and expand integrated accessibility based transportation planning. By connecting theory with empirical observations and recommending policy paths for attaining balanced regional development, the work adds to the body of literature. Keywords: Accessibility; secondary cities; urban transport governance; spatial economics; spillover effects