This special issue of European Urban and Regional Studies maps out a move from a strictly geopolitical to more socio-political and socio-cultural interpretations of the European Union’s (EU’s) ‘Mediterranean neighbourhood’. In doing this, the authors propose a dialogic understanding of neighbourhood as a set of ideas and imaginaries that reflect not only top-down geopolitical imaginaries but also everyday images, representations and imaginations. The introduction briefly summarizes conceptualizations of ‘neighbourhood’ provided by the individual contributions that connect the realm of high politics with that of communities and individuals who are affected by and negotiate the EU’s Mediterranean borders. Specifically, three cases of socio-spatial imaginaries that exemplify patterns of differential inclusion of the ‘non-EU’ will be explored. The cases involve Italy–Tunisia cross-border relations, the EU’s post-‘Arab Spring’ engagement with civil society actors and the case of Northern Cyprus. The authors suggest that ‘neighbourhood’ can be conceptualized as a borderscape of interaction and agency that is politically framed in very general terms but that in detail is composed of many interlinked relational spaces. The European neighbourhood emerges as a patchwork of relations, socio-cultural encounters, confrontation and contestation, rather than merely as a cooperation policy or border regime.

中文翻译：

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边界想象与地中海街区的日常建设：特辑介绍

本期《欧洲城市和区域研究》特刊描绘了从严格的地缘政治到对欧盟（EU）“地中海社区”的更多社会政治和社会文化解释的转变。在这样做的过程中，作者提出了一种对话式理解，将邻里理解为一组思想和想象，不仅反映了自上而下的地缘政治想象，还反映了日常图像、表现和想象。引言简要总结了个人贡献提供的“邻里”概念，这些贡献将高级政治领域与受欧盟地中海边界影响和谈判的社区和个人的政治领域联系起来。具体而言，将探讨三个社会空间想象案例，这些案例体现了“非欧盟”的差异包容模式。这些案例涉及意大利-突尼斯的跨境关系、欧盟在“阿拉伯之春”后与民间社会行为体的接触以及北塞浦路斯的案例。作者建议，“邻里”可以被概念化为互动和代理的边界景观，它在政治上以非常笼统的术语为框架，但在细节上由许多相互关联的关系空间组成。欧洲邻国作为一种关系、社会文化相遇、对抗和争论的拼凑而成，而不仅仅是作为一种合作政策或边界制度。作者建议，“邻里”可以被概念化为互动和代理的边界景观，它在政治上以非常笼统的术语为框架，但在细节上由许多相互关联的关系空间组成。欧洲邻国作为一种关系、社会文化相遇、对抗和争论的拼凑而成，而不仅仅是作为一种合作政策或边界制度。作者建议，“邻里”可以被概念化为互动和代理的边界景观，它在政治上以非常笼统的术语为框架，但在细节上由许多相互关联的关系空间组成。欧洲邻国作为一种关系、社会文化相遇、对抗和争论的拼凑而成，而不仅仅是作为一种合作政策或边界制度。