Mapping flows, shaping spaces: a review of data-driven approaches to EU cross-border regions

Berzi M, Albertini M, Barranco R, Brunet-Jailly E, Chilla T, Dijkstra L, Duvernet C, Finnsdottir MS, Aleksandra G, Philipp G, Roland G, Günther E, Kristin HH, Benedikt H, Hippe S, Chris JC, Viktória J, Olle J, Mert K, Andrius K, Vit P, Ate P, Francisco R, Jean R, Van De Weghe N, Van Der Valk J, Ferreira R (2026)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2026.2628289

Abstract

Knowing where, how and for what purposes people frequently cross borders has significant policy implications. However, limited data availability often hinders effective decision-making. The lack of granular, reliable and comparable data frequently leads to an underestimation of the true scale of cross-border movements within the EU. Additionally, the assessment of the socioeconomic potential of border regions does not consider the hypothetical elimination of legal, administrative, infrastructural or linguistic obstacles. This contribution explores whether methodological innovations can (i) improve quantification of existing and potential cross-border interaction and (ii) support the delineation of functional cross-border areas. We first introduce the concept of cross-border areas as ‘living spaces’. We then examine conventional data sources such as administrative records, surveys and transport that try to capture existing cross-border flows. Following this, we showcase non-conventional data sources and methods, including digital traces, mobile big data and geospatial artificial intelligence to overcome gaps in data coverage, granularity and comparability. These enriched datasets allow us to present data-driven methods to define cross-border functional areas that integrate cross-border accessibility, interaction intensity and socio-economic performances. We finally discuss the current limits and opportunities towards an integrated, efficient and trustworthy data production for EU cross-border regions and worldwide.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

European Commission - Joint Research Centre (JRC) Netherlands (NL) Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) Switzerland (CH) New University of Lisbon / Universidade Nova de Lisboa Portugal (PT) Eurostat Luxembourg (LU) Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR) / Federal Institute forl Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) Germany (DE) Österreichische Institut für Raumplanung GmbH (ÖIR) / Austrian Institute for Regional Studies GmbH (ÖIR) Austria (AT) University of Victoria (UVic) Canada (CA) Bureau Jacobs-Crisioni Netherlands (NL) Central European Service for Cross-Border Initiatives (CESCI) Serbia (RS) Helsingin yliopisto / University of Helsinki Finland (FI) Nature Research Centre (NRC) / Gamtos tyrimų centrą Lithuania (LT) Palacky University Olomouc / Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci Czech Republic (CZ) Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) / Catholic University of Leuven Belgium (BE) The University of Liverpool United Kingdom (GB) Transfrontier Operational Mission (MOT) / Mission Opérationnelle Transfrontalière (MOT) France (FR) Universiteit Gent (UGent) / Ghent University Belgium (BE) Statistics Netherlands / Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek Netherlands (NL) Europäische Kommission / European Commission (EC) Belgium (BE)

How to cite

APA:

Berzi, M., Albertini, M., Barranco, R., Brunet-Jailly, E., Chilla, T., Dijkstra, L.,... Ferreira, R. (2026). Mapping flows, shaping spaces: a review of data-driven approaches to EU cross-border regions. European Planning Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2026.2628289

MLA:

Berzi, Matteo, et al. "Mapping flows, shaping spaces: a review of data-driven approaches to EU cross-border regions." European Planning Studies (2026).

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