No place should be left behind
Is territorialism the reaction of the places that do not matter? How can we fight regional inequalities and improve citizens’ perception of the EU? These were the main questions raised by Professors Andreas Faludi and Andres Rodriguez Pose, keynote speakers during the opening of a seminar
Under the title “New Narratives for Territorial Development” ESPON brings together over 300 policymakers for two days in Vienna to discuss the future of EU development policies, such as the Cohesion Policy, based on the presentation of ESPON’s latest findings.
“The future of Europe is in the future of its places and people living in these places. We cannot afford
Professor Rodriguez Pose described the “geography of EU discontent”, and linked
Places do matter, underlined professor Rodriguez Pose. “If Europe is to combat the rise of a geography of EU discontent, fixing the so-called ‘places that don’t matter’ is possibly one of the best ways to start”, concluded professor Rodriguez Pose. We need policies that are place-sensitive and tap the potentials of every region, he added.
For Professor Faludi, the problem is that "Under
The very notion of democracy in an interconnected world is a key issue, said Professor Faludi, who advocates a Europe where national borders are questioned, and ultimately transgressed.
The seminar is discussing the future of EU development policies, such as the Cohesion Policy, based on the presentation of ESPON’s latest findings on different topics such as Crossborder services, migration, macro-regions, and the environment.
It is a unique opportunity to follow the latest developments on the debate about the post-2020 EU development policies and to understand how interconnections among places create dynamics that influence politics, investments, and people.