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When Soft Spaces Harden: The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region

Author

Listed:
  • Jonathan Metzger

    (Division of Urban and Regional Studies, Department of Urban Planning and Environment, KTH—Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Peter Schmitt

    (Nordregio, Nordic Centre for Spatial Development, Stockholm, Sweden)

Abstract

This paper investigates the first ever so-called ‘macroregional strategy’ developed under the aegis of the European Commission: the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). Through a drawing together of elements of actor-network theory and regionalization theory, it is argued that the adoption of the EUSBSR can be seen as a milestone within a wider process towards Baltic Sea regionalization, whereby the Baltic Sea region is increasingly ‘solidified’ through the positioning of the European Commission as a spokesperson for the interests of the region. It is further suggested that, if not seriously contested, the possible acceptance of the European Commission as a designated regional spokesperson might be a crucial step in a process whereby the soft space of the Baltic Sea Region may gradually become more formalized. Nonetheless, caution must be taken so as not to confuse degrees of formal institutional fixity with degrees of durability.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan Metzger & Peter Schmitt, 2012. "When Soft Spaces Harden: The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 44(2), pages 263-280, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:44:y:2012:i:2:p:263-280
    DOI: 10.1068/a44188
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andy Pike, 2007. "Editorial: Whither Regional Studies?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(9), pages 1143-1148.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Graham Haughton & Philip Allmendinger, 2015. "Fluid Spatial Imaginaries: Evolving Estuarial City-regional Spaces," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(5), pages 857-873, September.
    3. Eduardo Oliveira & Silvia Tobias & Anna M. Hersperger, 2018. "Can Strategic Spatial Planning Contribute to Land Degradation Reduction in Urban Regions? State of the Art and Future Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-23, March.
    4. John Harrison & Darren P. Smith & Chloe Kinton, 2017. "Relational regions ‘in the making’: institutionalizing new regional geographies of higher education," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(7), pages 1020-1034, July.
    5. Jonathan Metzger, 2013. "Raising the Regional Leviathan: A Relational-Materialist Conceptualization of Regions-in-Becoming as Publics-in-Stabilization," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 1368-1395, July.
    6. Simon Parker & Michael Harloe, 2015. "What Place For The Region? Reflections on the Regional Question and the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(2), pages 361-371, March.
    7. Kaj Zimmerbauer & Sulevi Riukulehto & Timo Suutari, 2017. "Killing the Regional Leviathan? Deinstitutionalization and Stickiness of Regions," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(4), pages 676-693, July.
    8. Stephen Hincks & Iain Deas & Graham Haughton, 2017. "Real Geographies, Real Economies and Soft Spatial Imaginaries: Creating a ‘More than Manchester’ Region," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(4), pages 642-657, July.

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