Globally, attention to the idea of measuring and promoting prosperity in the broad sense is increasing, such as under the Sustainable Development Goals and in the Netherlands under “Brede Welvaart. In the Netherlands, it has become a popular concept at the national level as well as in provincial and local government agreements. It encompasses everything people consider of value. In addition to material prosperity (including gross domestic product), it also includes intangible prosperity (well-being) such as the living environment, social cohesion, health and safety. In the Netherlands, Broad Prosperity is measured by various monitors and qualitative and quantitative indicators. Like, for example, the EU Regional Competiveness Index and OECD Regional Wellbeing Index. For all existing indices and broad welfare approaches, although these are also available regionally, they are not cross-national. This does not take into account cross-border regions, what exists across borders and what interactions exist across borders. For example, how can the topic of living (including distance to elementary school and distance to café) be reliably measured if residents cross the border for these activities?
In this dossier, the indicators of Brede Welvaart in the Netherlands are examined from a cross-border perspective. This file is a follow-up to the 2022 Euregional Perception file and a prelude to the creation of a Euregional Barometer, in which ITEM will make the situation in the cross-border regions more transparent and measurable. In doing so, ITEM will create a first pilot for a baseline measurement in a number of cross-border regions.
