Cross-border mapping and cooperation: integrating and dividing practices

Cross-border cooperation (CBC) has emerged as a prominent domain of practices within the European framework, aligned with the European Commission’s objectives to foster harmonious development. This article addresses the empirical field of CBC between regional political stakeholders and public administrations in regional and local contexts at Europe’s internal borders. Despite the establishment of cross-border regions, borders are still perceived as barriers, prompting actors in CBC to develop strategies to transcend territorial boundaries. One such strategy is cross-border thematic mapping, which visually represents topics like infrastructure, demography and cultural heritage. The article explores how cross-border thematic maps contribute to the creation and thinking of the cross-border space as a region in the context of CBC. It presents empirical research and an interpretation, arguing that while cross-border cartography advances cooperation, it also poses unintended challenges. Applying a praxeological approach, the study conceptualizes map usage as practices, drawing on ethnographic data from public events in an anonymized cross-border European region. The study explores the practices of map usage and develops a theorization to understand the social dynamics of cross-border building with maps. By bridging the gaps in practice-oriented cross-border studies and CBC research, the article contributes to the understanding of the role of cross-border maps in regional development and social dynamics.