I know, I don't THINK there is an increase but for whatever reason it SEEMS like it increases your zone of influence. Lets say you're on a earth, if you build a road from Arizona to Brazil and it costs you 200 Gld. all the way down the peninsula, then watch it and you will notice that you really increase along say Mexico, Argentina, etc... I have nothing to back that up with, you guys can call me a short bus window licker but it just seems like it helps culture. I dunno...