1 The border as resource in the global urban space A contribution to the cross-border metropolis hypothesis Christophe Sohn 1 June 2012 This is a pre-print version (i.e. pre-refereeing) of an article published in International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. Please refer to and cite as: Sohn, C. (2014), The Border as a Resource in the Global Urban Space: A Contribution to the Cross- Border Metropolis Hypothesis. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 38: 1697– 1711. doi: 10.1111/1468-2427.12071 Abstract In a globalized urban world, cross-border metropolises represent a spatial configuration emblematic of the interplay between the space of flows and the space of places. The multiplicity of contexts, and the forms and process at work, makes it difficult at times to identify what founds its singularity. In order to contribute to this conceptual reflection, this article puts to the fore the hypothesis that the specificity of cross-border metropolises does not fundamentally stem from the form they take, or the nature of the cross-border integration at work, but rather from the particular role played by national borders in their formation. The relative opening up of borders offers new opportunities to border cities and urban regions to reinforce their position at the heart of the global economic networks and to affirm their autonomy as a cross-border regional entity. Without minimizing the possible obstructive effects a border can put forward, it is helpful to recognize that they can also represent a resource in the make-up of cross-border metropolitan regions. Keywords: cross-border metropolis, globalization, border studies Introduction The concept of a cross-border metropolis first made its appearance in academic literature at the beginning of the 1990s. Herzog (1990), discussing the emblematic case of San Diego-Tijuana, used it to describe the newly emerging cross-border urban spaces as a specific product of globalization. Twenty years later, through the combined effects of the strengthening of formal mechanisms of regional integration and the putting in place of a flexible accumulation regime, the development of cross-border urban configurations has spread to numerous regions otherwise characterized by cultural differences and varying levels of social organization and economic development. This urbanization of border areas shows up as a concentration of industries, service activities and capital 1 Department of Geography and Development, Centre for Population, Poverty and Public Policy Studies (CEPS/INSTEAD), 3 avenue de la Fonte, L-4364 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg (christophe.sohn@ceps.lu).