European Perspective on Specific Types of Territories Appplied Research 2013/1/12 Interim Report | Version 16/03/2010 ESPON 2013 1 This report presents the interim results of an Applied Research Project conducted within the framework of the ESPON 2013 Programme, partly financed by the European Regional Development Fund. The partnership behind the ESPON Programme consists of the EU Commission and the Member States of the EU27, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Each partner is represented in the ESPON Monitoring Committee. This report does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the members of the Monitoring Committee. Information on the ESPON Programme and projects can be found on www.espon.eu The web site provides the possibility to download and examine the most recent documents produced by finalised and ongoing ESPON projects. This basic report exists only in an electronic version. © ESPON & University of Geneva, 2011. Printing, reproduction or quotation is authorised provided the source is acknowledged and a copy is forwarded to the ESPON Coordination Unit in Luxembourg. ESPON 2013 2 List of authors Erik Gløersen, Jacques Michelet and Frédéric Giraut (Department of Geography, University of Geneva, Switzerland) Marta Pérez Soba, Michiel van Eupen, Laure Roupioz and Rini Schuiling (Alterra, Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre), the Netherlands) Diana Borowski and Martin Price (Centre for Mountain Studies, Perth College, University of the Highland and Islands, United Kingdom) Gordon Cordina, Jana Farrugia and Stephanie Vella (E-Cubed Consultants, Malta) Ioannis Spilanis and Thanassis Kizos (University of the Aegean, Greece) Alexandre Dubois and Johanna Roto (Nordregio, Sweden) Hugo Thenint (Louis Lengrand et associés, France) Christophe Sohn and Olivier Walther (CEPS/INSTEAD) Monika Meyer and Jan Roters (Leibniz Institute of Ecological and Regional Development – IÖR, Germany) Marcus Collier and Ned Dwyer (Coastal & Marine Resources Centre, Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Ireland) Wolfgang Lexer and Gebhard Banko (Federal Environment Agency, Austria) Thomas Stumm (Eureconsult, Luxembourg) ESPON 2013 3 Table of contents 1 Executive summary ....................................................................................................... 9 2 Outline of methodology .............................................................................................. 14 2.1 Understanding and conceptualising geographical specificities ..................................... 14 2.2 Spatial reference framework ....................................................................................... 18 2.3 Datasets used for the qualification of GEOSPECS areas ............................................... 24 2.4 Nexus of development factors .................................................................................... 30 3 Presentation of main results achieved so far ................................................................ 31 3.1 Outputs of consultation process .................................................................................. 31 3.2 Identification of geographically specific areas ............................................................. 42 3.3 Analytical matrix ....................................................................................................... 124 3.4 Revised list of case study areas .................................................................................. 140 4 Description of further proceeding towards the Draft Final Report .............................. 143 4.1 Next steps ................................................................................................................. 143 4.2 Risks and challenges .................................................................................................. 145 4.2 Table of Content envisaged for Draft Final Report ..................................................... 145 5 References ................................................................................................................ 148 6 Appendix .................................................................................................................. 157 Figures Figure 1 Comparison of the ESPON and EuroBoundaryMap ....................................................... 19 Figure 2 Calculation of potentials .............................................................................................. 21 Figure 3 Overlay of Morphological Urban Areas, Functional Urban areas and areas accessible in 45 minutes from urban centres by road ................................................................... 23 Figure 4 Division of tasks for data collection within the TPG ...................................................... 25 Figure 5 LAU2 unit compiled for the West Balkans and LAU1 units for Turkey........................... 29 Figure 6 Compared geographic extent of the three small island states of the ESPON area ......... 55 Figure 7 Compared populations of Iceland, Malta, Cyprus, Ireland and the United Kingdom ..... 56 Figure 9 Steps to delineate the sparsely populated areas .......................................................... 66 Figure 10 Cumulative share of sparsely populated and poorly connected LAU2s ......................... 73 Figure 11 Discontinuities of Human Development Index ............................................................. 85 Figure 12 Different patterns of socio‐economic relations in border and non‐border regions ........ 92 ESPON 2013 4 Figure 13 Flow chart with revised timetable ............................................................................. 144 Maps Map 1 Mountainous LAU2 units in Europe, enclaves and exclaves .......................................... 44 Map 2 Massif areas in the ESPON space ................................................................................. 45 Map 3 Preliminary identification of insular areas ................................................................... 52 Map 4 Delineation and typology of islands ............................................................................. 53 Map 5 Regions with a low population density, from 1990 to 2009 .......................................... 65 Map 6 Areas with low population potential with 50 km radius and 45 minutes travel time. .. 69 Map 7 Sparsely populated and poorly connected areas .......................................................... 70 Map 8 LAU2 regions with areas with population potential below 100 000 .............................. 74 Map 9 LAU2s with more than 90% of the total area covered by Sparsely populated areas ...... 75 Map 10 LAU2 and NUTS 3 regions with low population potential ............................................. 76 Map 11 Map template for the representation of Outermost Regions in their geographic context ....................................................... 78 Map 12 Map template for the representation of the internal geographic structures of Outermost Regions ........................................ 79 Map 13 Classification of land borders in the ESPON area .......................................................... 91 Map 14 Travel time to internal EU borders ............................................................................... 93 Map 15 Travel time to the border between EU12 and EU15 ...................................................... 94 Map 16 Travel time to the external borders of EU27 and EFTA‐4 .............................................. 95 Map 17 Travel time to the external borders of the European Union.......................................... 96 Map 18 Classification of borders and cross‐border areas ........................................................ 100 Map 19 Areas within 45 minutes and 2 hours from the coastline ............................................ 111 Map 20 Municipalities within 45 minutes and 2 hours from the coastline .............................. 112 Map 21 45 minute population potential in municipalities contiguous to the coastline ........... 113 Map 22 Areas in the proximity of the metropolitan core of Europe ........................................ 118 Map 23 Classified potential population size for each NUTS 5 region ....................................... 119 Map 24 Travel time to main metropolitan areas as a proxy for the access to services ............ 120 Map 25 First delineation of inner peripheries at the European scale ....................................... 121 ESPON 2013 5 Map 26 Case studies and “additional cases” ........................................................................... 142 Map 27 Road model used for GEOSPECS ................................................................................ 166 Tables Table 1 Principles used to delimit GEOSPECS areas .................................................................. 15 Table 2 Conceptual & methodological interpretation of GEOSPECS areas ................................. 15 Table 3 Definitions of areas with geographic specificities in the Fifth Cohesion Report ............. 16 Table 4 Delineation methods and related material .................................................................. 20 Table 5 Selection of transversal pan‐European datasets ........................................................... 26 Table 6 Challenges for border areas ......................................................................................... 36 Table 7 Overview of mountainous areas in Europe .................................................................