Raumentwicklung in Grenzregionen – Bedeutung und Wirkung von Planungsleitbildern und Governance-Prozessen

Focus spatial

Rhine Valley (Alps), Austria, Vorarlberg, Switzerland, Grisons, St. Gallen, Liechtenstein, intertwined area of Lake Constance, in-between city of the Rhine Valley

Langue(s)

Allemand

Type

Note sur un livre scientifique

Catégorie principale

Développement régional – Durabilité

Gouvernance - Pouvoir - Coopération

Langues – Culture – Identité

Théories - Concepts - Méthodes

Introduction

The publication addresses the role and effects of the spatial aesthetics and processes behind regional governance with regard to the spatial development of border regions.

Résumé

This study aims to explore the steering structures as well as the existing spatial aesthetics of the border region of the Rhine Valley and their effects on cross-border spatial development. For this purpose, the study distinguishes top-down spatial aesthetics on the one hand (political documents, policymakers in the fields of administration and territorial development in Austria and Switzerland) and bottom-up aesthetics on the other hand (life realities of residents). In conclusion, the author describes to what extent its research findings have been applied with regard to territorial development in the border region.

Contenu

CONTEXT

The cross-border planning of the territory in the Rhine Valley border region between Austria and Switzerland is difficult due to the significant differences between the framework conditions and the planning concepts on each side of the border. The study claims that the different perceptions or “spatial images” of the border region are the main factors impeding the implementation of concerted territorial development. The study stresses, among other things, that the framework conditions used on the other side of the border are often unknown. This is why the existing spatial representations, both bottom-up and top-down, must be analysed.

METHOD

Based on a “regional governance” approach and in order to determine the spatial representations, interviews with experts and residents, discussion groups, street surveys and photo-surveys within and out of the border region were carried out and assessed, as well as mental maps produced in a controlled manner. This approach aimed to interact equally with the residents of the border region. Site visits within the studied territory were also organised, and the observations arising from professional practice in cross-border processes were used. These qualitative surveys were completed by statistical data analyses (functional intertwining, development of the built environment, housing structure) regarding the cross-border in-between city of the Alpine Rhine Valley and represented in the form of maps. Furthermore, national and transnational planning documents pertaining to the border region were assessed in order to highlight their representation method of current and future top-down spatial images. The scientific literature specific to the relevant regions was also assessed.

Table of contents

List of abbreviations

Summary

1. Introduction

Initial situation – Overview of the field of analysis

Clarification of the issue at hand

Research questions and objectives

Classification of the research findings

2. Theory

Concept of space

Guiding concept “border region”

Guiding concept “in-between city”

Guiding concept “regional governance”

3. Toolbox

Overview of methods

Central tools

4. Bases

Digression on the border history of the Rhine Valley

Border region of the Rhine Valley

Rhine Valley in-between city

5. Top-down spatial images and regional governance in the Rhine Valley

National focus on: Austria and Switzerland

Transnational focus on: the European intertwined space of Lake Constance

National focus on: the Rhine Valley

Action and decision-making space: Rhine Valley vision – structures, processes and regional context

Action and decision-making space: Rhine Valley conurbation programme – structures, processes and regional context

Digression: municipality integration

6. Bottom-up representations of Rhine Valley residents

Arrival

The spatial representation of the Rhine Valley from its residents’ point of view

7. Findings

Appraisal and interpretation

Next steps in order to achieve a common spatial development in the Rhine Valley

8. Application of the findings to the practical aspect of planning

Errors serving as catalysts for future development

Rhine Valley dialogue – a common learning process

Commitment to a new Rhine Valley conurbation programme

Summary and prospects

Bibliography

Conclusions

Spatial representations are very important for territorial development as they often provide a basis for investment and action.

On both sides of the border in the Rhine Valley, such regional governance processes have been initiated as part of the territorial development process. Despite several expressions of interest with regard to cross-border action, no cross-border institutionalisation has emerged so far. Regional governance processes on the Austrian and Swiss sides are heavily influenced by their respective policy framework conditions, which has led to two distinct territorial development documents. The cross-border exchange of urban planning terms, concepts and expectations is an important basis for the joint development of visions for the future under respective regional development programmes. To this day, the Austrian “Rhine Valley vision” and the Swiss “conurbation programme” are still very different with regard to certain subject areas. For this reason, a “common” spatial representation, which would facilitate communication on territorial development, cannot be produced for the analysed region.

With regards to the future of the cross-border region, it would be advisable to develop a common representation of space and to present it externally, to develop a regional and cross-border governance model and to unite the residents of the cross-border region around a common bottom-up spatial representation. In the Autumn of 2016, a cross-border association composed of Austrian and Swiss members, Espace d’agglomération de la vallée du Rhin (Conurbation space of the Rhine Valley), was founded with the aim to draw up a new cross-border conurbation programme.

Messages clés

Common spatial representations and perceptions should provide the basis for cross-border spatial development concepts. As for the creation of cross-border territorial development concepts, it contributes to learning processes and to the development of common perceptions.

Civic involvement in the creation of territorial development visions is more profitable when the themes are tangible and understandable.

Cross-border approaches to territorial development should take into account the needs of municipalities, towns and their citizens on a local level and use them as a basis to develop their vision.

Pilotage

Stefan Obkircher

Auteur de la note

Mots-clés