The Socio-Cultural Factors in the Common Strategic Planning in European Territories: Principles for Sustainable Development Extracted from Borderlands

Abstract

The large number of borderlands existing in European territory contains many ventures of Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC). Nonetheless, the management strategies related to such projects and the sustainable development they bring to the regions still raise many questions. Considering the little knowledge regarding the management and governance of borderland territories, the present research through the analysis of nine CBC projects (eighteen European border cities) aims to provide further insights from a common strategic planning perspective. The study was projected to locals, experts, and technicians related to the border cities' planning. In this regard, the participants were asked through questionnaires about their perceptions and feelings about the success of the border-cooperation projects in their area of residence or work. Thereby, the investigation enabled us to identify and isolate the five essential factors and challenges to consider from a socio-cultural perspective: (i) Sense of belonging and break cultural barriers; (ii) Diverse infrastructural offer - Euro Citizenship; (iii) Better life's quality standards; (iv) Retain young and talented people; and Public participation