Cross-border spatial planning in border cities: Unpacking the symbolic role of borders

Border cities represent a challenge for cross-border spatial planning. Beyond the technical difficulties that derive from the juxtaposition of different institutional systems, regulatory frameworks, and policy networks, it is first and foremost a matter of building a shared vision of a spatial development project that transcends the border. In this chapter, we argue that the symbolic significance of borders represents an essential aspect in the conduct and success of border-related urban planning operations. More specifically, we hypothesise that borders can be used as symbolic resources by local stakeholders, provided that they are recoded in accordance with the cross-border scale and the project with which they are associated. Three strategies of border symbolisation articulated with cross-border spatial planning are presented: the border as a suture, the showcase border, and the invisible border. For each symbolisation strategy, an exemplary case study is briefly developed. The examples provided show that the way a border is mobilised as a symbol in the urban landscape can constitute an element of collective identification that helps to foster a sense of belonging to the cross-border area, and hence contributes to the planning of integrated border cities.