The purpose of this joint Policy Lab between ESPON and EUKN is to examine different interpretations of functionality in metropolitan and cross-border areas. Both metropolitan governance practice and cross-border cooperation projects will be discussed, in the Czech Republic and in other EU Member States. The joint meeting will discuss for example interpretations, experiences and expectations in support of post-2020 programming of functional territories. This will also happen in the light of the process of the establishment of a new Leipzig Charter, coordinated by the German Council Presidency in 2020, which is another good reason for EUKN and ESPON to join forces in the organization of this Policy Lab. Cities and metropolitan areas are encountering crucial policy issues when it comes to their spatial development, due to the de facto (and sometimes de jure) existence of functional urban areas (FUAs), defining urban areas and their commuting zones. These FUAs extend beyond formal administrative boundaries: therefore, metropolitan areas often suffer from fragmented policy making. So we will try to find answers to questions such as: - Which criteria make an area “functional”? - At which territorial level should this functionality be organised and how? - What are the expectations of FUA practitioners towards the EU´s post-2020 era? - What good (international) practices should we continue to learn from in the near future?

The organisers do not cover the costs of transport and accommodation.

Contact for more information: EUKN Secretariat via phone: +31 70 800 2025 or e-mail: info@eukn.eu