Periodic Reporting for period 4 - IMAJINE (Integrative Mechanisms for Addressing Spatial Justice and Territorial Inequalities in Europe)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2021-07-01 al 2022-06-30
Territorial inequalities are a key concern in Europe, with territorial cohesion adopted as a core objective of the EU. Yet, despite policy interventions by the EU and member states, differences between territories in Europe persist. IMAJINE has examined the patterns and dynamics of territorial inequalities in Europe with the aim of contributing to new mechanisms to more effectively address these inequalities and promote spatial justice.
The core objectives of IMAJINE have been to: enhance understanding of territorial inequalities and the concept of ‘spatial justice’; evaluate the impact of the 2008 economic crisis and austerity measures on real and perceived regional inequalities; interrogate the relationships between structures of territorial governance, economic development and public service delivery; investigate how perceptions of inequality and spatial injustice influence territorial autonomy movements and their levels of support; help identify appropriate scales and points for policy interventions to address territorial inequalities; appraise the effectiveness of current EU territorial cohesion policies; develop scenarios for future regional development and cohesion policies; make policy recommendations; and promote public debate and understanding of questions of territorial inequalities and spatial justice.
The key conclusions of IMAJINE are that the convergence of European regions has been uneven, with pockets of persistent disadvantage, and was interrupted by the 2008 crisis and austerity policies, which increased inter-regional inequalities. EU Structural Funds and national tax and welfare policies have contributed to narrowing inequalities, but different instruments are effective in reducing within-region and between-regional inequalities. A mix of mechanisms is required to achieve social and spatial justice. More nuanced approaches to monitoring and targeting territorial inequalities are required that capture local-scale disparities and inter-regional dependencies and involve composite indicators beyond GDP. Attention also needs to be paid to perceived inequalities, which are important in shaping public attitudes and can fuel territorial autonomy claims. Greater territorial autonomy would address some concerns over spatial justice, but may hinder efforts to reduce economic inequalities through redistribution. Effective decentralisation further requires clear demarcation of responsibilities and systematic policy learning between jurisdictions.
We conclude that the European Social Model and EU Cohesion Policy are likely to be increasingly challenged by demands for territorial autonomy and reworked ideas of solidarity in the climate crisis. Indeed, there is no one model of ‘spatial justice’ that indicates a simple pathway for eradicating territorial inequalities, rather there needs to be a public and political debate about what ideal of spatial justice should guide policy
The core objectives of IMAJINE have been to: enhance understanding of territorial inequalities and the concept of ‘spatial justice’; evaluate the impact of the 2008 economic crisis and austerity measures on real and perceived regional inequalities; interrogate the relationships between structures of territorial governance, economic development and public service delivery; investigate how perceptions of inequality and spatial injustice influence territorial autonomy movements and their levels of support; help identify appropriate scales and points for policy interventions to address territorial inequalities; appraise the effectiveness of current EU territorial cohesion policies; develop scenarios for future regional development and cohesion policies; make policy recommendations; and promote public debate and understanding of questions of territorial inequalities and spatial justice.
The key conclusions of IMAJINE are that the convergence of European regions has been uneven, with pockets of persistent disadvantage, and was interrupted by the 2008 crisis and austerity policies, which increased inter-regional inequalities. EU Structural Funds and national tax and welfare policies have contributed to narrowing inequalities, but different instruments are effective in reducing within-region and between-regional inequalities. A mix of mechanisms is required to achieve social and spatial justice. More nuanced approaches to monitoring and targeting territorial inequalities are required that capture local-scale disparities and inter-regional dependencies and involve composite indicators beyond GDP. Attention also needs to be paid to perceived inequalities, which are important in shaping public attitudes and can fuel territorial autonomy claims. Greater territorial autonomy would address some concerns over spatial justice, but may hinder efforts to reduce economic inequalities through redistribution. Effective decentralisation further requires clear demarcation of responsibilities and systematic policy learning between jurisdictions.
We conclude that the European Social Model and EU Cohesion Policy are likely to be increasingly challenged by demands for territorial autonomy and reworked ideas of solidarity in the climate crisis. Indeed, there is no one model of ‘spatial justice’ that indicates a simple pathway for eradicating territorial inequalities, rather there needs to be a public and political debate about what ideal of spatial justice should guide policy
The IMAJINE work programme involved 10 work packages focused on policy discourses, measuring territorial inequalities, economic development, public attitudes, migration, multi-level policymaking, autonomy movements, and future scenarios. A mixed methods strategy has been implemented employing a range of qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection and analysis, including econometric analysis of inequalities indicators; spatial disaggregation and estimation of local data; construction of a composite indicator of local development; modelling and analysis of fiscal transfers and impacts of fiscal austerity measures; an online survey of 18,204 respondents in 8 countries; interviews with over 60 EU, national and regional officials, over 350 migrants, long-term-residents and local stakeholders, and over 50 activists in territorial autonomy movements; focus groups and workshops with stakeholders; analysis of policy documents, political literature and speeches; systematic reviews of scientific literature; collation and analysis of COVID-19 data; and participatory scenario building and testing, including expert reviews.
Exploitable results from IMAJINE include four open datasets covering local-scale disaggregated indicators of territorial inequality; survey results; coded policy and political documents from autonomy movements; and monthly COVID-19 cases by NUTS 2 region. Further results include four scenarios for Europe in 2048; a composite indicator for local development; lessons for effective multi-level, multi-sectoral policymaking; and analyses tracing the evolution of policy discourses, identifying dynamics in policy implementation, explaining patterns of territorial inequalities and assessing the impacts of EU policies, fiscal transfers and austerity measures, establishing motivations for and consequences of migration, and evaluating territorial autonomy strategies.
Scientific dissemination has occurred through two books ‘In Search of Spatial Justice: Addressing Regional Inequalities in Europe’ (Edward Elgar, 2023) and ‘Public Policy to Reduce Inequalities Across Europe’ (OUP, Nov 2022), 48 open access articles in scientific journals, the IMAJINE Final Conference, and over 60 presentations to scientific meetings and academic audiences. Dissemination to policy stakeholders and practitioners has been achieved through the IMAJINE Policy Briefing and Policy Seminar, targeted one-day conferences, engagement with a range of stakeholders in scenario workshops, submissions to policy consultations, and participation in meetings. Broader public dissemination has included the online exhibition, an Atlas of Territorial Inequalities, Visual Summaries, blog posts on the IMAJINE website, non-scientific articles, and social media.
Exploitable results from IMAJINE include four open datasets covering local-scale disaggregated indicators of territorial inequality; survey results; coded policy and political documents from autonomy movements; and monthly COVID-19 cases by NUTS 2 region. Further results include four scenarios for Europe in 2048; a composite indicator for local development; lessons for effective multi-level, multi-sectoral policymaking; and analyses tracing the evolution of policy discourses, identifying dynamics in policy implementation, explaining patterns of territorial inequalities and assessing the impacts of EU policies, fiscal transfers and austerity measures, establishing motivations for and consequences of migration, and evaluating territorial autonomy strategies.
Scientific dissemination has occurred through two books ‘In Search of Spatial Justice: Addressing Regional Inequalities in Europe’ (Edward Elgar, 2023) and ‘Public Policy to Reduce Inequalities Across Europe’ (OUP, Nov 2022), 48 open access articles in scientific journals, the IMAJINE Final Conference, and over 60 presentations to scientific meetings and academic audiences. Dissemination to policy stakeholders and practitioners has been achieved through the IMAJINE Policy Briefing and Policy Seminar, targeted one-day conferences, engagement with a range of stakeholders in scenario workshops, submissions to policy consultations, and participation in meetings. Broader public dissemination has included the online exhibition, an Atlas of Territorial Inequalities, Visual Summaries, blog posts on the IMAJINE website, non-scientific articles, and social media.
Results from IMAJINE have advanced the scientific state of the art through conceptual and methodological innovations, including: an extended conceptualisation of spatial justice; a novel holistic approach to studying territorial inequalities; novel application of statistical methods including Entropy Methods and Foster-Greer-Thorbecke Poverty Measures to generate and model data on territorial inequalities at the local scale in Europe, and innovative use of principal component analysis to develop a composite indicator of socioeconomic deprivation at the local scale; innovative use of scenario building as a social science research tool; and a new approach to conceptualising and measuring regionalist actors' territorial strategies. Additionally, IMAJINE has advanced the scientific knowledge base through the creation of four new open datasets, and contributions by individual papers to literature in fields ranging from migration research to policy theory.
The policy and societal impacts of IMAJINE will are anticipated to be realised over a number of years following the grant end, with the Policy Brief outlining 21 recommendations that relating to implementation of current programmes but also development of the next EU programming period and longer-term planning. Emerging impacts in the project lifetime include adoption of the local dataset and composite indicator as resources for programme evaluators; citation of IMAJINE evidence in the EC Staff Working Documents for the Long Term Vision for Rural Areas; interest in the scenarios from international and national organizations; and engagement with results by national governments and agencies, notably in relation to regional development and health equity policies.
The policy and societal impacts of IMAJINE will are anticipated to be realised over a number of years following the grant end, with the Policy Brief outlining 21 recommendations that relating to implementation of current programmes but also development of the next EU programming period and longer-term planning. Emerging impacts in the project lifetime include adoption of the local dataset and composite indicator as resources for programme evaluators; citation of IMAJINE evidence in the EC Staff Working Documents for the Long Term Vision for Rural Areas; interest in the scenarios from international and national organizations; and engagement with results by national governments and agencies, notably in relation to regional development and health equity policies.