  Particle flows in spatial networks are susceptible to congestion. In this
paper, we analyze the phase transitions of these networks to a state of
congested transport and the influence of both topology and spatial dynamics on
its emergence. We systematically show that the value of the critical loading
rate at which congestion emerges is affected by the addition of spatial
dynamics, changing the nature of this transition from a continuous to a
discontinuous one. Our numerical results are confirmed by introducing an
analytical solvable framework. As a case of study, we explore the implications
of our findings in the San Francisco road network where we can locate the roads
that originate the congested phase. These roads are the spatially constrained,
and not necessarily those with high betweenness as predicted by models without
spatial dynamics.
