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B. Haselsberger:
"Future Challenges of Patchwork Europe. The added value of building up a shared trans-border knowledge base";
Vortrag: RSA Conference 2010, Pécs; 24.05.2010 - 26.05.2010; in: "Regional Responses and Global Shifts: Actors, Institutions and Organisations. Book of Abstacts", (2010), ISBN: 978-1-897721-36-0; S. 76.

All our familiar maps and atlases confront us with a particular (geographical-cartographic) picture of Europe: a European surface divided into distinct nation-state territories, each demarcated by a line and distinguished by separate colours. Consequently the European Union appears in form of a 'melting pot' composed of several nation-states and characterised by difference in areas such as traditions and culture. This extensive and increasing diversity raises substantive questions for realising the concept of 'territorial cohesion' as a general policy objective. But, as territorial borders and in particular national borders have negative consequences for directly adjoining areas, cooperation across borders and moreover territorial cohesion contributes substantively towards the reducing of disadvantages experienced by the respective border areas that constitute trans-border regions.

It appears that effective forms of cooperation across borders are grounded in a recognition that different nation-states deal differently with similar spatial planning 'issues' in accordance with their own traditions and identities, and not assuming that these are insignificant or easily washed away. Many terms describing the key processes of spatial planning have country- or region- specific meanings which are lost when transposed to another setting. The problem is exacerbated in transferring between different languages; in crossing national/language borders, even similar sounding words from different languages can encompass very different concepts and meanings.

In this regard the paper builds on the hypothesis that the establishment of a harmonised European planning terminology has to be considered a fundamental precondition towards more substantive trans-border networking as well as towards the building up of a 'unity of diversity'. This hypothesis is explored through the specific case of the coterminous nation-states Austria, Italy and Slovenia. The paper argues that although these three nation-states have evolved within three completely different historical contexts and are belonging (at least in a contemporary sense) to three different legal families (superficial differences) many similarities can be revealed by a closer examination through understanding 'the others' planning terminology and consequently planning approach.

Core References:
FABBRO, S.; HASELSBERGER, B. (2009) Spatial Planning Harmonisation as a Condition for Trans-national Co-operation. The Case of the Alpine-Adriatic Area. European Planning Studies, 17(9), pp.1335-1356.
KEATING, M. (2004) Regions and Regionalism in Europe. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.
MAZZA, L. (2004) Piano, progetti, strategie. Milano: FrancoAngeli.
NADIN, V.; STEAD, D. (2008) European Spatial Planning Systems, Social Models and Learning. disP, 172, pp.35-47.

European Union; Territorial Cohesion; Territorial Cooperation; Planning Terminology;