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Over the last five years, the Autonomous University of Barcelona's Geography Department studies have undergone a series of structural changes. Adaptation to an online system has led to a structural change in the way in which knowledge is disseminated and materials produced, and the application of the so-called Bologna Process (adaptation to the European Higher Education Area, EHEA) has brought with it the need to change certain habits in the way knowledge is disseminated, a new credit transfer system (ECTS) and skills-based training. The Department has taken part in a pilot test project initiated by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). In this period of change, we are simultaneously offering three teaching systems: the traditional system, in line with the study plan from 2002; the Bologna Process system, started in 2005-2006, and the online system, which was started in the academic year 2001-2002 and which does not form part of the Bologna Process. Two or three years from now, there will be two systems, face-to-face and online, both of which are to be adapted to the Bologna Process. This article looks to show what these changes have meant, in terms of the experience in subjects we teach (Cartography and Photo-interpretation, Social and Economic Geography and Geographic Information Systems), which provides the basis for a discussion of the pros and cons of adaptation of Geogr@phy On-line and to the Bologna Process.

Citation:
Tulla, A. F.; Pallares-Blanch, M.; Pallares-Barbera, M.; Vera, A. (2006). THE TWIN CITY MODEL IN THE PYRENEES TERRITORY: ANDORRA AND ALT URGELL BORDER REGION. Sixth European Urban and Regional Studies Conference. Governance, territoriality and network policies on Diverse economies in Europe. 21-24 September; Comwell Hotel, Roskilde, Denmark.

The new Europe of 25 countries still has different boundary spots inside like Switzerland with special agreements. One of these cases is the Principat d’Andorra in the Pyrenees, between France and Spain. Since the 1960’s decade this mountainous country of 465 sq. km has grown from 6,000 to more than 70,000 inhabitants in 2005 taking advantage of commercial and financial opportunities in relation to French and Spanish states but also to the European Union laws.
At the beginning of the 21rst century different policies from the government of Andorra have tried to diversify economic activities, to bring under control urban growth and developing territorial links with Alt Urgell a Catalan county of 22,000 inhabitants close to the southern boundary. There are human, goods, services and capital movements in both directions and public and private transport is very important. Because of that is possible to say that a twin city system is in process to be implemented. Our research group has completed a study which has elaborated primary data results on different type of relations in this city system.
The first wave of migration into Andorra was from Catalonia after the Spanish Civil War and from Alt Urgell and surroundings (1960-80) promoting important links between families. Many of them now have Andorran nationality. After the 1980 was there an important Spanish and Portuguese migration with an actual population of Andorrans 38%, Catalans 22%, Spaniards 17%, Portuguese 10%, French 6% and others 7%. The official language is Catalan and the currency is the euro. The number of visitors in Andorra was more than 13 million people in 2005 with important winter resorts. The Government of Andorra, recently, has taken the important decision to strengthen relations with the European Union, adapting several laws, even with a risk of reducing financial and commercial advantages.
In this paper we explain a model of reciprocal networks to be set up between economies and citizens of both, Andorra and Alt Urgell, territories. Mainly, there are flows in both directions, in relation to labour force mobility, goods and services purchase and direct economic investment. There are also plans to increase efficient transport networks and to make agreements related to environmental management. Andorra has more population and economic and financial initiatives whereas Alt Urgell has more urban and agrarian land available but also cultural and specific retail trade to give satisfaction to the whole population of twin city system. On top of that, the special governance of Andorra gives an important role to Alt Urgell. The Bishop of Urgell is at the same time the co-Princep of Andorra, together with the French President, and the seat of both religious and political positions are in the Seu d’Urgell.

Reference: Vera, A.; Pallares-Barbera, M.; Tulla, A.F. (2006). La Nueva Economía y los espacios industriales tradicionales: El caso del 22@Barcelona. En Alonso Santos, J.A.; Aparicio Amador, L.J.; Sanchez Fernandez, J.L. [Eds.]. Industria y Ciudad. Geografía de una relación renovada. Salamanca: II Jornadas de Geografía Económica: 1-11.

Las tecnologías de la innovación y la comunicación han cambiado la estructura productiva de los negocios al mismo tiempo que la morfología urbana. La nueva economía ha configurado un nuevo modelo de localización industrial, generando en las ciudades un espacio propicio para el desarrollo y creación de empresas innovadoras. En el interior de los nuevos espacios urbanos industriales es posible acoger redes de empresas basadas en las nuevas tecnologías, como universidades o centros de innovación y desarrollo dando lugar a un claro ejemplo de nueva economía basada en la economía del conocimiento. El Barrio Barcelonés del Poblenou ha sido testimonio de dichas transformaciones, pasando de un espacio industrial tradicional a un nuevo espacio destinado al nuevo sistema económico. La finalidad de este artículo es presentar éstos cambios a través del proyecto del 22@ Barcelona.

While space might shrink, the flows of goods in space gets constantly wider. Great inventions in history have marked the reorganization of space as well as some activities, some spatial relations and the value of territory. Space has been adapting to these needs offering new opportunities and challenges. Geography has become the leading science to analyze and mediate in these processes. The space of markets, the relations between the digital world and the real world, “geolocalization” of services and new economic activities have moved geography to a new level within social sciences. This round table starts from the following standpoint: How do the extreme speed of flows affects the meaning and perception that in different social and cultural settings people have? Keywords: innovation, flows, networks.

This article proposes a methodology based on geographical information systems and factor-analysis to carry out taxonomies for mountain areas in the Catalan Pyrenees. Initially, socio-economic and spatial variables have been used in the classification of the areas. Subsequently, the discrimination of homogeneous areas becomes important in order to undertake posterior studies about their development and to facilitate the creation of specific public policies adjusted to their main competitive advantages. The confrontation of such extreme and rival neighbouring uses in small Pyrenean regions -such as natural parks and productive activities- with externalities arising and affecting each others’ activities, requires governmental instruments to intervene in order to achieve a more efficient allocation of resources in the face of externalities, to decrease production where there is external cost and to increase it where there are external benefits. Necessarily, these policies would have to be related to urban planning and to take into account economic and social aspects. Keywords: local development, GIS, multivariate analysis, rural mountainous areas, natural protected areas.