La construction des territoires en Europe. Luxembourg et Grande Région : Avis de recherches

After presenting the background for the book, Gaëlle Crenn and Jean-Luc Deshayes discuss the constructivist approach used by the majority of researchers. They identify other important aspects, such as the relation to history, the relationship between research and politics, as well as the approach of space and social relations.

The first part of this book is dedicated to the ideological, theoretical and political definitions of the Greater Region. Franz Clément describes the institutional construction of the Greater Region. Sonja Kmec analyzes the creation of a territorial ideology related to these processes. Sandrine Devaux examines three community initiatives of the “sponsors of the Greater Region” (p. 63). Fabienne Greffet is interested in how the Greater Region is perceived by people who are directly affected by the border. Christian Wille proposes a different conception of area, which resembles that of Werlen, who understands area as the result of social practices. To him, this seems more appropriate for addressing the spatial dimension of cross-border workers in the Greater Region.

The contributions in the second part suggest a change of perspective. Alternative models for the organization of dynamic tensions in the Greater Region are proposed. Christophe Sohn presents the model of the cross-border, metropolitan and polycentric region as a more balanced vision of the spatial and economic development of the region. Éric Auburtin is interested in the conditions of cooperation in the region: “It is an institutional sedimentation that is steadily becoming more complex” (p.11). Jean El Gammal questions “elected” officials in the East at the end of the 19th century up to the present. Karen Denni questions the participation of the population in the European construction in the Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Kehl. Jean-Luc Deshayes sums up 30 years of research in the “basin de Longwy.”

In the third part, the articles are dedicated to the event “Luxembourg and the Greater Region, European Capital of Culture 2007.” Berit Vogel explores the impact of such an event on the sustainable goals of institutional and political design. Delphine Buzy-Christmann examines the communicative structure of the cultural event. Bénédicte Toullec analyzes media coverage in the French-language press in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and in Lorraine. Cécile Bando and Gaëlle Crenn summarize the results of a completed reception study in Lorraine. Sandrine Devaux discusses the results of such a study in Luxembourg.

Content

Introduction

Part One: The Greater Region, Research Object

• The institutional construction of the Greater Region: a combination of cooperation and integration concepts
• Discursive constructions of the Greater Region
• The sponsors of the idea of the Greater Region
• The Greater Region in everyday life
• “Doing Greater Region” – The space between crossing and construction using the example of the cross-border worker

Part Two: The Greater Region as a Pertinent Area?

• The construction of a cross-border metropolis in Luxembourg
• Elected officials at the border from the end of the 19th century up until today
• Functional integration in the border regions: new approaches of horizontal integration
• Converting an area or converting to an area: Longwy 1978–2010
• The Greater Region, a geopolitical object searching for cohesion

Part Three: The Cultural Greater Region

• Structural impact of a cross-border cultural event. Challenges and opportunities with the European Capital of Culture 2007
• Diverse media coverage. Territorial constructions and media logics of “Luxembourg and the Greater Region 2007” in the French-speaking press
• The communication strategy of “Luxembourg and the Greater Region 2007”
• The reception of the European Capital of Culture 2007 in Luxembourg and the image of the Greater Region
• Implementation and reception of a cross-border cultural offer: “Luxembourg and the Greater Region 2007” in Lorraine.