Border integration in different world regions: benefitting communities or territories?

This chapter responds to the following question: “Are territories at the service of their communities, or are communities at the service of their territories?” The normative implications of this query are both timely and necessary. Whereas national borders were invented in the Westphalian system to protect citizens and provide security, the contemporary reinforcement of borders has in many ways increased vulnerability and risk for local populations. In general, cross-border integration has been viewed in terms of economic growth and political/social relations. Social impacts and human security are often pushed to the background. This implies a normative bias towards territory-based rather than community-based integration. This chapter engages these debates on human vs. public security. It examines four border cases: 1) Lille-Kortrijk-
Tournai Eurométropole, 2) Bari, Italy-Durres, Albania, 3) San Diego, usa-
Tijuana, Mexico and 4) Cúcuta, Colombia-San Cristóbal, Venezuela.