The Politics of Spatial Identity: Regional Governance and the Strategic Constitution of Regional Identity

Abstract

Recent German planning discourse focuses on major urban agglomerations and their role for societal, economic, social and cultural development. Of special interest are questions concerning the European Metropolitan Regions. Seen as an effective concept of German strategic spatial planning and policy, European Metropolitan Regions have emerged across Germany. The Rhine-Neckar Region represents one of these major urban agglomerations. It shows a comprehensive mode of regional governance. Against this backdrop, collaborative actors do not only establish the European Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region on an economic but also on a symbolic level as they attempt to form a new identity in correspondence with that region. This study considers the relation between regional governance and the strategic constitution of regional identity by looking at the European Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region Corporation. One of the overall conclusions is that the politics of spatial identity is used as a specific (significative) strategy for the constitution of geographic world-ties. In addition, it is a practice complementary to structural and economic practices of regional governance and networks. Four strategies become significant for the constitution of regional identity. Employing these strategies it is aimed to form a “mental infrastructure” in order to cope with the requirements of economic and societal globalisation.