Spaces of globalization, reasserting the power of the local

Development of local systems in various European countries is characterized by the strong increase of regionalism along with a greater flexibility in the distribution of normative competencies at different levels. Development is not uniform. In the beginning at least, these systems are shaped in accordance with a national rationale. However, the development of European integration, and the principle of subsidiarity, tend to standardize development and thereby challenge if not the nation-state, then its traditional way of functioning.

The End of the Nation-State

In a globalized urban world, cross-border metropolises represent a spatial configuration emblematic of the interplay between the space of flows and the space of places. The multiplicity of contexts and processes at work can complicate the identification of what constitutes the singularity of the concept. In order to contribute to these reflections the present article hypothesizes that the specificity of cross-border metropolises does not fundamentally stem from the form they take or the nature of the cross-border integration at work, but rather from the particular role played by national borders in their formation. Opening up borders offers new opportunities for border cities and urban border regions to reinforce their positions at the heart of global economic networks, and to affirm their autonomy as cross-border regional entities. Without minimizing the possible obstructive effects of borders, it is helpful to recognize that they might also represent a resource in the composition of cross-border metropolitan regions.

The Border as a Resource in the Global Urban Space: A Contribution to the Cross-Border Metropolis Hypothesis

Cross-border integration is a multifaceted as well as contextually contingent process. While various conceptualisations have been developed, the theoretical foundations of the concept appear insufficient in order to grasp the very significance of such a process of cross-border regionalism. In order to help make sense of the diversity of configurations observed, this article seeks to deconstruct the concept according to the role played by the border as a resource and to develop a theoretical framework based on two contrasted models of cross-border integration. The underlying hypothesis is that cross-border integration does not derive from the mere opening of national borders that it supposedly helps at the same time to remove, but stems from the strategic behaviour of actors who actively mobilise borders as resources. The first model, called ‘geo-economic’, is mainly based on the mobilisation of the border as a differential benefit and aims to generate value out of asymmetric cross-border interactions. In ...

Modelling cross-border integration: : the role of borders as a resource

Cross-border knowledge transfer and innovation in the European neighbourhood : Tourism cooperation at the Finnish-Russian border

Since its creation, the European Union seems to be guided by the idea that an increase in cross-border flows contributes to more European unity. Thus, emphasis has been placed for instance on lower...

Exploring cross-border integration in Europe: How do populations cross borders and perceive their neighbours?

Cross-border integration in Europe is a complex and multifaceted process, which has contrasted impacts on border regions. In order to contribute to better depict it, this paper provides, wi...

A multidimensional measurement of the integration between European border regions

Metroborder Cross-border Polycentric Metropolitan Regions

The policy of the European Union, which promotes a vision of Europe without borders and has fostered the development of cooperation across borders over 25 years, has led, in some parts of Europe, t...

Everything All Right at the Internal EU Borders? The Ambivalent Effects of Cross-Border Integration and the Rise of Euroscepticism

Since 2010 and the launch of the METROBORDER project, funded by ESPON, Luxembourg and the neighbouring regions in Belgium, France and Germany have pursued the objective of creating a cross-border polycentric metropolitan region. In order to achieve this goal, the political actors have decided to elaborate a cross-border territorial strategy to bring more coherence and cohesion to a cross-border region characterized by its strong functional integration, due to the very high number of cross-border commuters. This paper reflects the approach that we have followed, as external advisors, to animate the debate between the stakeholders and to provide evidence for the decision-making process. Its objective is to examine the content of this cross-border territorial strategy and to question whether such a strategy between four countries is at all possible, efficient and able to answer to challenges of cross-border integration. An analytical framework has been designed, taking into consideration different ap...

Building a cross-border territorial strategy between four countries: wishful thinking?

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