The University of San Diego's Trans-Border Institute (TBI) promotes lasting peace in Mexico and in the border region, through applied research, innovative educational practices and cross-border partnerships. For twenty years, the TBI has been a source of information on cross-border issues and the relations between Mexico and the United States. The TBI publishes data from surveys and reports on police reforms, arms trafficking and the application of the immigration laws.
The three cross-border metropolises Pôle Européen de Développement de Longwy (PED), the French-Vaud-Geneva metropolitan area and the French-Belgian cross-border platform Flanders – Dunkirk – Opal Coast were analyzed in a national comparative study to show the specific challenges of these areas. Thematic maps were analyzed on three major topics, which were then used to filter out relevant indicators: cross-border dynamics, differences and complementarities, as well as the metropolitan dimension.