Mobility and neighbourhood dynamics in border regions - towards an inter-urban discourse analysis

This paper focuses on the perceptions of population mobility and dwelling in a crossborder
polycentric region in Western Europe. The economic development of the
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg calls for a constant expansion of the labor market,
attracting cross-border commuters and a ‘highly mobile elite’. The rises in property
prices as well as the extreme housing shortages in Luxembourg have led to an
expansion of the housing market into the border regions. While previous studies have
so far mostly dealt with the socio-demographic characteristics of the transmigrants,
this research aims to detect perceptions of the phenomenon by applying a discourse
analysis. To do so, guiding principles of municipal policy, urban planning documents
and the local media of three medium sized towns in the borderland (Belgium, France,
Germany) are being analyzed. Furthermore stakeholder interviews are conducted to
gain deeper insights into individual perceptions.
A review of recent media coverage reveals that the situation is characterized by a sort
of love-hate relationship. Depending on the context, the case is constructed rather
differently by city councils or planners and the local population and even within the
same social arena. In a public-private-partnership new city quarters are developed for
luxury housing and in the contested draft of the land development plan residential
areas with a good connectivity to Luxembourg are foreseen. While in parallel city
officials also report displacement. A social constructionist approach is adopted to
trigger an increasing awareness for the emerging transnational housing market and
changing social-spatial divisions.