ITAN - Integrated Territorial Analysis of the Neighbourhood

Theme

This project shall provide profound knowledge on EU neighbour regions in order to support targeted policy development in the light of Cohesion Policy aiming (1) at improved regional competitiveness as well as sustainable and balanced growth of the European territory, (2) to promote European integration in a connecting world economy, and (3) to support evidence-based cross-border cooperation along external borders. Before this backdrop the project team is elaborating an ‘Integrated Territorial Analysis of the Neighbourhoods’ (ITAN).

Thematic scope

The consideration of the territory beyond the EU borders seems to be obvious due to the increasingly global economy which the EU is encountering and challenges that affect territories across borders as for example climate change.

Cities and regions of the ESPON territory and their neighbouring regions are important players in this respect that need territorial evidence supporting cooperation activities, as the set-up of networks creates opportunities to promote economic and social integration through a dialogue on common interests and strategic options.

This project shall provide necessary territorial evidence highlighting topics of interest for cooperation activities with neighbouring regions and their cities that can be picked-up in the territorial agenda of ESPON countries.

Potentials related to the aims of the Europe 2020 Strategy shall be identified, taking into account the contribution of the EU Cohesion Policy, for EU Member States and their neighbouring regions, in order to better understand (1) territorial interactions with neighbourhood areas and (2) potential joint development opportunities for cooperation.

Please read more about the main research areas and main results envisaged on the next page.

Policy questions

• What territorial dynamics and respective changes over time can be identified between cities and regions of the ESPON territory and their neighbourhood?
• How can the structures and dynamics of the ESPON neighbourhood and territorial flows between the ESPON territory and its neighbourhood be described?
• Which territorial characteristics of the ESPON territory have an impact on the territorial development of and cohesion with the neighbouring regions and their cities?
• How are territorial flows likely to change and what impact on the territorial development might become apparent?
• How and where can existing territorial structures, dynamics and flows be improved by closer cooperation taking into account economic, social and environmental aspects, the enlargement of the EU, Cohesion Policy and relevant related territorial cooperation areas?

Lead Partner

French National Centre for Scientific Research CNRS / GIS CIST, France.

Detailed information on the contracted project team can be found under Transnational Project Groups

Sounding Board

Luisa Pedrazzini, IT

Robert Knippschild, DE

Budget: € 750 000.00

Project’s lifetime: February 2012 – November 2014

Delivery of Reports

Inception Report: 31 July 2012

Interim Report: 31 January 2013

Draft Final Report: 7 February 2014

Final Report: 14 July 2014

Publishing

Reports will be published once they are approved by the ESPON Monitoring Committee

More information

Please contact the Project Expert at the ESPON Coordination Unit:

Ann-Gritt PANNENBORG (NEUSE), e-mail: [email protected] 

Main research areas

• Investigating territorial evidence on the territorial state, structures and trends in cities and regions neighbouring the ESPON space, by extending the geography of the existing ESPON knowledge base with basic regional data beyond the borders of the ESPON territory. In this respect the availability of data on accessibility, trade & services, migration, transport and infrastructures including energy, tourism, the cultural and natural environment and other economic aspects at different geographical level is considered.
• Elaboration of a methodology for the territorial analysis of the different neighbourhoods taking into account historical and institutional differences.
• Identifying the structures and dynamics of the EU neighbour regions and their cities and the implications of these for the potentials to support integration and cross-border cooperation.
• Examining the territorial flows between the ESPON territory and their neighbour regions and their cities, and their change over time.
• Analysing which territorial flows can create comparative advantages for territorial cross-border cooperation options.
• Finding territorial policy relevant elements/aspects/topics and comparative advantages that are most promising to be addressed in cross-border cooperation, transnational spatial planning and development tasks towards territorial cohesion with EU neighbour states with regard to people, markets and stability.
• Surveying new demands arising for the EU Cohesion Policy and Structural Funds due to the future accession of New EU Member States.

Main results envisaged

The envisaged results of the applied research project are the following:

• Territorial evidence on the territorial state, structures and trends in cities and regions neighbouring the ESPON space as well as of the ESPON space in its wider territorial context.
• Insights and reports on trends and perspectives, translating the project results into policy options for European policy makers on national, regional and local level.
• Indicators offering information on territorial potentials for advantageous cooperation options with EU neighbouring states.
• Typologies of different patterns of neighbour regions classified by territorial evidence, based on regional data on territorial dynamics and flows.
• Targeted case studies providing more focused and detailed information.
• European maps revealing, territorial key structures, dynamics and trends within the neighbour regions of the ESPON territory as well as flows between these regions and the ESPON territory.
• Data input for the ESPON 2013 Database on information on territories neighbouring the European Union.