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Topic: Cross-border Integration

Unpacking the process of cross-border integration in European borderlands

Navigating Borders: Cross-Border Regionalism and Governance in Europe’s Greater Region

This research investigates the shifting landscape of cross-border regionalism in Europe, focusing on the Greater Region, where cities and regions grapple with governance, mobility, and identity across national borders. It explores the tensions between debordering (via European integration) and rebordering (through securitisation and populism), highlighting how these dynamics shape cooperation, planning, and resilience in border areas.

Rethinking Regionalism: Cross-Border Dynamics in the Greater Region

This research topic explores the evolving dynamics of cross-border regionalism in Europe with a particular focus on the Greater Region. We examine how cities and regions situated along national borders navigate complex processes of transborder governance, mobility, and identity formation in times of increasing uncertainty.

Key Challenges and Focus Areas in Transborder Cooperation

Key research areas include cross-border cooperation initiatives, the socio-economic impacts of cross-border commuting, the challenges associated with the coordination of different planning systems and the changing meaning of national borders amidst overlapping crises.

Debordering and Rebordering: Navigating Europe's Borderland Tensions

Our research critically engages with the simultaneous processes of debordering - exemplified by European integration and the institutionalisation of cross-border governance - and rebordering, marked by new securitisation measures, political retrenchment, and populism. By analysing these intertwined dynamics, we aim to shed light on the resilience and vulnerabilities of border regions and to offer insights into the broader implications for European cohesion, governance, and identity.

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