The subject of corridor and axis development as linear spatial development pattern is a very controversial one. While some see it as a valuable economic development tool at regional level, others associate it with problems like congestion, landscape fragmentation, increasing dependency of private car use, land waste, pollution, or suburbanization. At national level, the territorial development strategy seems to support corridor and axis formation, while the strategy for sustainable transportation expresses the concern about some of the possible negative consequences of this type of development trend. This article examines different points of view regarding corridor and axis development which are present in the literature as well as in the European and national spatial strategies and attempts to emphasize the main opportunities and risks entailed by these spatial development patterns.