Adapting the Place Standard Tool for Border Regions: The Euregional Approach

Abstract The Place Standard Tool (PST) is a well-established tool that helps policymakers and communities discuss which aspects of a place - like buildings and transportation or the the way people are involved in decision making concerning their surroundings - need attention in order to improve public health. Even though the PST is widely used in many countries, it primarily focuses on a national level, overlooking the fact that 35% of EU citizens live in border regions. Many people living in these areas cross national borders for work, school, or social activities, so their everyday lives span more than one country. Using this tool to develop policies may ignore the real needs of border residents or even exclude their views, which can have a significant impact on their lives. To address this, the euPrevent Active Citizenship Participation (ACP) project adjusted the tool for a cross-border setting in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine (EMR). In this project, the German version of the StadtRaumMonitor, which is based on the PST, was modified to include questions that reach beyond national borders. This adaptation encourages people to respond to questions not just from a national perspective, but also to reflect on their experiences in neighboring countries. It was further translated into the four languages: French, German, Dutch and English, and made available online across the entire border region, which is home to nearly 4 million people. Moreover, the Euregional PST was effectively tested with local and cross-border citizen panels, and it’s set to become a key element in creating a sustainable framework for citizen participation within the EMR. And although this Euregional PST was initially developed for the border regions of the EMR, the modifications are such that the tool can be applied in no matter which European border region. Thereby, the Euregional PST offers a way to create policies that truly reflect the diverse needs and realities of border citizens, all over Europe. Key messages • The Cross-border Place Standard Tool EMR is easy to apply for a broad spectrum of stakeholders in border regions and applicable to all border regions in Europe. • The tool helps preventing policy issues by considering the entire context of people living in border areas.