ULYSSES - Using applied research results from ESPON as a yardstick for cross-border spatial development planning

Main areas of analysis

The project will make comprehensive territorial analyses for selected cross-border areas taking into consideration a range of important territorial issues and challenges pin-pointed by strategic European policy orientations and/or by recent ESPON applied research, such us:

• Cross-border polycentric development and patterns of urban-rural relationship in the cross-border areas.
• The cross-border areas’ levels of accessibility & connectivity to existing Trans-European transport corridors and modern ICT-infrastructures.
• Effects of demographic change in the cross-border areas (i.e. an increasingly ageing society, migration processes, social inclusion of minority groups), which are of particular importance for border areas located in national and European peripheries and also for borders areas located near Europe’s external borders.
• The performance of the cross-border areas in relation to the revised Lisbon/Europe 2020 Strategy objectives: e.g. main features of economic activities and of the economic environment in genetal, existing R&TD potentials and innovation processes; issues related to structural change / modernisation pressure due to an increasing globalisation, main features characterising the cross-border labour market within the context of a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
• The performance of the cross-border area in relation to various objectives of the Gothenburg Strategy: e.g. preservation and sustainable use of natural / cultural heritage potentials; sustainable management of main environmental media (soil, air, water etc), effects of climate change (e.g. new natural hazard patterns, natural disasters), renewable energy sources & use of renewable energy sources / increased energy efficiency; potential sources for industrial risks.

Main results envisaged

• Elaboration of six multi-thematic territorial analyses delivering to cross-border areas a “reference baseline” on ground of which new cross-border spatial development concepts can be elaborated and / or already existing ones can be reviewed and up-graded.
• Raising the stakeholders’ awareness and know-how about crucial issues that strongly condition the quality of cross-border spatial development concepts.
• Contribute to motivate other cross-border areas not directly covered by one of the pilot analysis to launch spatial development elaboration processes for their respective cross-border areas.
• Elaboration of seven “data fact sheets” constituting an operational input for the covered areas in understanding the European dimension of their development potentials and challenges.
• Elaboration of parts of the future “ULYSSES Practical Guide”, which will be published as a joint document of stakeholders involved in the project and the ESPON 2013 programme.