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"Transnational and Cross-border planning has attracted an increasing amount of academic interest over the last decade. Furthermore, cross-border and transnational planning are becoming a more important domain within planning practice. Within AESOP the subject has also raised a significant amount of attention. First and foremost the transnational planning track organised by Andreas Faludi and Karina Pallagst, which has attracted a growing and stable group of conference participants. In addition, Aesop has been involved in a research project on the European dimension of planning practice, research and education that was subsidised by the European Union within the framework of the SocratesThematic Network Project. The results of this project were presented in Brussels and on that occasion Aesop lobbied for a role in European policy processes, which are of interest to the planning profession.

The 2004 conference will be used to explore the desirability of an AESOP thematic group on transnational and cross-border planning. The existing track on transnational planning should form the point of departure of such an exploration. How can the continuity of the track be safeguarded? And, what in addition can be done in order to benefit the most from the platform that AESOP offers?
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Aim of this group is to contribute to the creation and maintenance of a network of researchers and lecturers who are involved in issues of transnational and cross-border planning. This network could be used for many different things. It can be used to share and discuss research results, to learn about each others teaching in this field, to start transnational research projects among different members of the network, to take the initiative to publish research results, to comment on transnational and cross-border planning initiatives etc.