Research Project
European border regions and cross-border ethnic communities. Spatial planning in spaces of cultural networks.
Project description
The research project combines three topics: regional planning theories, cross-border ethnic communities, and cross-border and peripheral regions. The combination of these three areas is underrepresented in the literature. The different ethnic border communities have different spatial impacts on regional development and the constitution of these border regions. Underlying the cross-border regions are different cultures with a high degree of commonalities and interactive cultural networks. If these aspects and assets are taken into account, the status quo of the border region may change for the better and may lead to advantages for the respective region in a functional sense.
The aims of the project are:
- the analysis of cultural networks of cross-border communities and
- to advance the development of recommendations for action for regional development in complex border regions.
Videos from the project
Please find the project video under the following link:
The video shows a journey in the cross-border regions and checking the porous status of the borders between hard & soft. While crossing the borders and having communities’ interrelations, different cultures appear, creating culture networks. These networks reveal the level of similarity and differences between both sides of the border, especially in ethnic existence cases. Accordingly, if these networks are well analyzed and considered, the status que of the border region might be better changed. The video was selected and presented in RGS-IBG shorts 2021 Annual International Conference with the theme of “Border, Borderlands and Bordering”, London. The selected films are presented under this website
Publications from the project
- Bakry, A.; Growe, A. (2022): Ethnicities spatial effect on cross-border regions. Comparative analysis for cultural aspect based on territorial and network perspectives, the cases of the Basque and the Upper Rhine in EU border regions. In: European Planning Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2022.2120764
- Bakry, A.; Growe, A. (2021): Analysing cultural networks in cross-border metropolitan regions. The case of the Upper Rhine region (Germany–Switzerland–France). In: Erdkunde. Jg. 75, Nr. 3, 169–190. Doi: https://doi.org/10.3112/erdkunde.2021.03.01.
Presentations from the project
- Bakry, A. (2022): Culture between ethnic and non-ethnic cross-border regions in Europe - Analyzing cultural aspect from territorial and network perspectives. The cases of Basque, Flemish, and Upper Rhine cross-border regions. London Center for Interdisciplinary Research online conference, “Somewhere in Between: Borders and Borderlands” . April 2 – 3, 2022. London.
- Bakry, A. and Growe, A (2021): Ethnicities spatial effect on cross-border regions; Comparative analysis for culture aspect from territorial and network perspectives, the cases of Basque and Upper Rhine in EU border regions. IMISCOE online conference, “18th annual conference”. July 7 - 9, 2021. Luxembourg.
- Bakry, A. and Growe, A (2021): Ethnicities spatial effect on cross-border regions; Comparative analysis for culture aspect from territorial and network perspectives, the cases of Basque and Upper Rhine in EU border regions. Lethbridge border studies online conference, “The line crossed us: new directions in critical border studies”. June 10 - 11, 2021. Canada.
- Bakry, A. (2021): Culture networks and their influence on cross-border interrelations, The case of Upper Rhine Region, an EU cross-border region. AAG online conference, “annual meeting”. April 7 – 11, 2021. USA.
- Bakry, A. (2020): Introducing new planning framework for identifying and measuring cross-border regional metropolitan functions; territorially and relationally. AESOP online Conference, "Regional Design: A Transformative Approach to Planning". 02.Oct.2020. Italy.
