The Way to Cooperation and Integration
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Historical Towns Divided by International Border Rivers – the Way to Cooperation and Integration by Katarzyna Pietroszek A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in Planning Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2009 © Katarzyna Pietroszek 2009 Author’s Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii Abstract The topic of this thesis is divided towns, defined as the towns which once existed as unified administrative units before an international border divided them. In a time of globalization, the character of many border lines is changing. In many places, borders are loosing their dividing character. In the European Union, divided towns might be perceived as natural symbols of integration between neighboring countries. The main goal of the study is to answer the research question: “In towns divided by an international border that is a river, what are the conditions that must be met to achieve a mutually beneficial level of cooperation?” In order to address the research question, benefits and barriers in cross-border cooperation and integration are studied. A quality of cooperation and an advancement of integration between bordering communities are explored. Impact of actions undertaken by local decision makers to improve the cross-border cooperation and integration are examined. Görlitz-Zgorzelec, located on the German-Polish border, was chosen as a case study place. The research methods used in the study requiring public involvement are official and non-official interviews and questionnaires. Additional information was also collected from academic and non-academic sources. Based on the data collected during the research, a set of key indicators was created to measure an advancement of cooperation between the divided town sections, in the field of spatial planning, culture and social integration. iii Acknowledgements Sincere thanks to – My supervisor, Robert Shipley, and my advisor, Greg Michalenko, for your support and advices My family and friends, for motivation and enthusiasm Nicolas, for your peace and morning coffee Matthias, for ‘being’ Most of all, thank you Krzysiu, ’Serduszko Moje Kochane’, my Little Everything iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................. xii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................ xii 1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 1 1.1. Problem Statement..................................................................................... 3 1.2. Methodology ............................................................................................... 4 1.3. Case Study Town........................................................................................ 5 1.4. Rationale for Research .............................................................................. 7 1.5. Thesis Organization................................................................................... 8 1.6. Summary..................................................................................................... 8 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................ 9 2.1. Borders, Borderlands and Divisions ........................................................ 9 2.1.1. Definitions of International Border............................................... 10 2.1.2. Impact of Globalization on International Borders and Borderlands. ............................................................................................................... 10 2.1.3. Different Characteristics of Town Divisions by Borders ............. 11 2.1.4. Natural Borders............................................................................. 14 2.1.5. Towns Divided by Natural Borders and Their Role in Uniting Europe..................................................................................................... 15 2.2. Benefits from Cross-Border Cooperation in Divided Towns............... 17 2.2.1. Benefits in Local Economy........................................................... 17 2.2.2. Benefits in Spatial Planning.......................................................... 20 2.2.3. Benefits in Culture ........................................................................ 20 2.3. Barriers in Cooperation in Divided Towns ........................................... 22 2.3.1. Economic Barriers ........................................................................ 22 2.3.2. Barriers in Spatial Planning .......................................................... 23 v 2.3.3. Language Barriers......................................................................... 24 2.3.4. Barriers in Social Integration........................................................ 25 2.4. Examples of Cross Border Spatial Planning Cooperation Around Europe: Arrangement of Riverbanks in Towns Divided by International Border that is a River ..................................................................................... 28 2.4.1. International Town Centre ............................................................ 29 Tornio-Haparanda (Finland-Sweden) .................................................. 29 2.4.2. International University .............................................................. 29 Frankfurt/ Oder-Słubice (Germany-Poland)........................................ 30 2.4.3. International Park........................................................................ 31 Strasbourg-Kehl (France-Germany) .................................................... 31 Cieszyn-Ceský Tešín (Poland-Czech Republic).................................. 34 Irún/ Hondarribia-Hendaye (Spain-France) and Guben-Gubin (Germany-Poland)............................................................................. 36 Tornio-Haparanda (Finland-Sweden) .................................................. 36 2.4.4. Connecting the Riverbanks in Their History ................................ 36 Komarno-Komarom (Slovakia-Hungary)............................................ 36 Tui-Valença (Spain-Portugal).............................................................. 37 2.4.5. Conclusion .................................................................................... 38 2.5. Case Study Town Görlitz-Zgorzelec ...................................................... 39 2.5.1. General Information about Görlitz-Zgorzelec .............................. 39 2.5.2. History of Görlitz-Zgorzelec......................................................... 40 2.6. Summary................................................................................................... 48 3. METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................... 49 3.1. Criteria for Choosing the Case Study Town ......................................... 49 3.1.1. Criterion 1: Rivers as International Borderlines ........................... 49 3.1.2. Criterion 2: Both Divided Town Sections Located in EU ............ 52 3.1.3. Criterion 3: Population Size Restrictions...................................... 53 3.1.4. Final Choice of the Case Study Town .......................................... 54 vi 3.2. Methods Used for Data Collection.......................................................... 55 3.2.1. Methods Requiring Public Involvement ....................................... 55 Questionnaire ....................................................................................... 56 Interviews............................................................................................. 56 3.2.2. Methods Not Requiring Public Involvement ................................ 60 Documentary Sources .......................................................................... 60 Observation.......................................................................................... 61 3.3. Techniques Used to Organize and Analyze Data.................................. 62 3.3.1. Indicators....................................................................................... 62 3.4. Limitations................................................................................................ 63 3.4.1. Requirement of Translation .......................................................... 63 3.4.2. Methods Chosen to Collect Research Data................................... 64 4. FINDINGS: INITIATIVES FOR COOPERATION AND INTEGRATION IN GÖRLITZ-ZGORZELEC............................................................................ 65 4.1. Planning for Neisse Riverbanks.............................................................. 66 4.1.1. Historical Background .................................................................. 67 4.1.2. Elements of Neisse Riverbanks Revitalization............................. 70 Rebuilding Bridges on the Neisse River.............................................. 70 Renovation of Zgorzelec Greek Boulevard ......................................... 75 Rebuilding the Zgorzelec Postal Market.............................................. 77 Restoration of Roads and Sidewalks.................................................... 84