Territorial Coordination or Territorial Governance?

Abstract

This paper argues that in order to achieve better coordination in dealing with spatial development across borders, the current focus on territorial governance and organizational structures in the Alpine-Adriatic area might not be the right answer to the present situation. Currently, the focus in the area is shifting to the formal aspects of cooperation but, the paper argues, territorial coordination should be pursued instead, focusing on functional aspects and informal processes of mutual learning and adaptations of goals between the actors involved. To support this position, the paper elaborates and emphasizes a distinction between territorial coordination and territorial governance, where coordination is seen as a product of decentralized control over resources, processes and activities, while governance refers to a deliberate transcending of governmental borders while retaining some degree of centralized control. The paper then reviews recent policy developments in relation to the coordination of spatial development in Europe and presents a historic overview of cooperation in the area, including recent developments that point to growing tensions between the regions each time the formal aspects of cooperation come to the foreground. The paper also suggests that appropriate tools for territorial coordination are needed, including working groups for tackling specific transnational and cross-border planning problems and area- wide platforms for exchanging information and knowledge, which would allow the continuity and transparency needed for the construction of collective knowledge in the area.