Transborder Policy Lab

Welcome

The Transborder Policy Lab (TransborderLab) is a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and policy-oriented research network dedicated to studying borders and transborder communities. While our primary focus is the US-Mexico border region, our work involves comparative research across border regions and experiences worldwide.

Border Cities and the Environment

Urban growth and metropolization have dominated the development of the US-Mexico border region for the past 50 years. We study the effects of urbanization on water security, community health, and adaptation to climate change.

Projects

Cross-border mobility

Cross-border mobility is essential for the economy and livelihood of border communities. We focus on understanding the impacts of policy change and unforeseen events on the dynamism and composition of cross-border flows and the development of border communities.

Projects

Cross-border development and governance

Good cross-border governance and cooperation improve the social well-being of border communities and reduce regional disparities. We study the forms and drivers of cross-border governance and cooperation on the US-Mexico border and their influence on regional development.

Projects

Special Initiatives

The Idea of Ambos Nogales

The idea of Ambos Nogales is used frequently by residents as an alternative to centralist policies and practices in Mexico and the United States. What is the potential of the idea of Ambos Nogales to solve regional problems and build a better future for both sides of the border?

Transborder Pedagogy

Unpacking border places across their symbolic, social, and material dimensions is the most effective way to teach and learn about borders. We focus on developing educational instruments and methods to teach about the complex socio-spatial effects of borders and bordering.

Border of the World

We explore the social and economic dynamics shaped by borders through a comparative analysis of border regions in North America, South America, and Europe. Using a common conceptual and analytical framework, we collect data in these border regions to study the singularities and commonalities of the world’s borders.

Collaborative, interdisciplinary, policy-oriented knowledge exchange

Arizona State University

School of Transborder Studies

P.O. Box 876303

Tempe, AZ 85287-6303

Francisco Lara-Valencia

Professor

francisco.lara@asu.edu

(480) 965-9179