The Alpine Rhine Valley is an ideal object for an interdisciplinary, scientifically challenging, practice-oriented and regionally anchored research project. Consequently, the Hochschule Liechtenstein in Vaduz, the Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) in Birmensdorf and the University of Innsbruck entered into a cooperation agreement to conduct such a research project in the Alpine Rhine Valley. Here, within a small geographic area, numerous changes in the economy, society and environment typical of many other European regions can be studied.

Because of its unique location with three abutting states as well as the changing and constantly shifting significance of national borders, the Alpine Rhine Valley becomes a “research laboratory”, where the concrete effects of globalisation and Europeanisation in space and time can be studied. The current spatial development in the Alpine Rhine Valley is particularly evident in the explosive growth of populated areas and in the splinter development with its various resultant ecological, economic and social problems. To preserve the Alpine Rhine Valley as an attractive residential and business area, the quality of the countryside, centres, cities and villages must be improved. Coordinated cross-border settlement development, which conserves the land while making optimal use of the area, is an important prerequisite for further, sustainable improvement in the Alpine Rhine Valley.

In the central Alpine Rhine Valley near the community of Haag (St. Gallen), it is apparent how mobility impacts spatial planning. Industrial areas and shopping centres have sprung up near the motorway accesses. The participating institutions defined the focus of the research project in a preliminary study. Most notably, cross-border studies investigating potential settlement development in the Alpine Rhine Valley are lacking. This finding was confirmed by a strengths-and-weaknesses analysis conducted by nine local experts to determine key factors and fields of action for future settlement development in the Alpine Rhine Valley. Furthermore, various current projects in the Alpine Rhine Valley are either nationally defined or limited to individual inter-industry problems such as flood control and revitalisation of the Rhine.

Of a total of five planned subprojects and one synthesis and communication project, three subprojects lasting approximately three years were already begun in 2006. In this connection, three doctoral candidates are working on the following topics:

• Strategies for the reduction of land consumption and its consequences (Hans Martin Neumann),
• Qualification of urban sprawl? Actors’ network and planning limits (Stefan Kurath),
• Regional structures in the Alpine Rhine Valley – their significance and contribution to the qualification of urban sprawl (Catarina Proidl)

An expansion of the research project is planned. Prof. Dr. Martin Coy from the University of Innsbruck submitted a project proposal draft to the Interreg IV Programme for the Alpine Rhine-Lake Constance-High Rhine on the topic of spatial orientation and regional identity in the Alpine Rhine Valley. In addition, a synthesis and communication project as well as the establishment of a forum under the direction of Prof. Thomas Sieverts are in progress.