Les espaces frontaliers, des espaces à la marge ?

Their location at the outer end of a country means that border areas are often considered “marginal” spaces. This depiction is often found in political discourses that draw on these spaces. The particular context of the border areas has been described by specialized geographers as the “outermost limit to the sovereignty of a country” (Renard et al. 1997), as a discontinuity and break between two spaces, with each area having a certain degree of homogeneity (Grasland 1997) and state strategies often suspending the development of these areas (Nordmann 1998). However, this context has changed within the European integration process over the past three decades: “This ‘opening’ of borders must be differentiated in as far as the weight of structuring and national affiliations often has an inhibiting effect” (p. 211). The term “on the margin” is described in detail and the authors emphasize “the relativity of the marginal border identity in relation to the spatial and temporal levels considered” (p. 212). For clarity, two examples are given. Thus, the refugee camps in Calais and Grande-Synthe can be described as “on the margin.” These places are territorially detached (“hors sol”) because they are managed entirely by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The second example is of cities that have developed along the border due to differences in national taxation, salaries, costs or availability of land and tax.

In the second step, the authors apply a multi-level approach to the margin in the context of borders. In order to measure the marginalization of border areas, the approach of territorial dynamics and attractiveness (Reynaud 1981) is applied. Maps illustrate the analysis results. The authors point out that there are “marginalized” areas at European and regional levels. These are (mostly rural) areas that have suffered a population loss due to the industrial crisis. The cross-border areas in the north-east of France are in a space between attractiveness and “repulsiveness.” The authors state that “the relationship between the border situation and the margin is not direct and unambiguous. Certain border areas are marginalized in terms of national territory, but can also be located within an exchange zone that gives them a new centrality.” (p.220)

Content

• Border areas and their spatial and temporal analysis levels of relativizing marginal character
• Marginalization and border – the example of migrant camps in Calais and Grande-Synthe
• The border situation between marginalization and centrality
• Multilevel approach to the margin in a border context
• How can territorial marginalization within a cross-border context be measured?
• Areas “on the margin” at European and regional levels
• The cross-border areas in north-east France between attractiveness and “repulsiveness”
• Bibliography