Dr. Matteo Berzi (p), Dr. Riccardo Curtale, Dr. Benedikt Herrmann, Dr. Franziska Sielker, Dr. Selim Banabak, Dr. Filipe Batista

Country borders present both challenges and opportunities across multiple domains, including labour markets, trade and cross-country integrations. Yet the impact of borders on housing prices and affordability remains underexplored, particularly within the context of the EU single market. Our contribution explores the housing market across EU internal borders, where local and regional socioeconomic dynamics transcend international boundaries. We analyse the discontinuities generated by the presence of a border in the housing markets of cross‑border regions, shedding light on the great diversity of situations across the EU. By analysing (rental and sale) housing prices and affordability at the Local Administrative Unit (LAU) level within a 25 km buffer zone on both sides of each EU internal border, this study provides new elements to better understand the specificities and complexities of housing markets in EU’s border areas.

Mr Elias Günther (p), Mr Stefan Hippe, Mr Tobias Chilla

Data availability in border regions remains a pressing issue – in particular with regard to harmonisation issues. In the absence of harmonized data, so called new data can be a helpful solution. Digitalisation comes along with a series of new data sources and allows for new approaches to study the dynamics of cross-border regions. Useful data can be collected via various methods, including web scraping and openly available data products supplied by data owners (e.g., travel information from private companies). Web scraping is a method that allows for automatic extraction of relevant information from online media (websites, application platforms, open databases). This is an important complement to traditional data collection methods (e.g., surveys, census).
In our paper, we explore the potentials and limitations of web scraping for border regional analyses with the example of real estate data. Through web scraping, absolute and relative price indicators and quality related indicators can be taken on board. Differentials and integration patterns will be revealed regarding rental and buying costs, both in relation to distance to the border. In addition, the number of offers gives an indication of the housing market dynamics. This data can be a proxy to understand dynamics and drivers of cross-border commuting, particularly in border regions with urban centres in close proximity to the border.
Data are taken from the research project on “The potential of new data sources for border-related knowledge gaps (BorderData)” funded by the Bavarian-Czech Research Agency (BTHA), focussing on the Bavaria/Czech region. The presentation reflects a) technical options and barriers in organising automated data retrieval, b) on data quantity and availability, c) on data quality and potential corrections and calibration options.

Ms Alexandra Pintilie (p), Selim Banabak, Franziska Sielker

With freedom of movement in the European Union and roughly one third of Europeans residing in border regions, housing markets increasingly transcend national boundaries. Particularly in metropolitan border areas, borders may function as resources that structure labour mobility, residential choice, and investment patterns. At the same time, differences in income levels, supply constraints, transaction costs, and welfare systems can generate pronounced disparities in affordability across borders. Against the backdrop of Europe’s intensifying housing affordability crisis, this paper examines cross-border housing dynamics through evidence from the ESPON HOUSE4ALL project.
The paper first presents comparative data on advertised sales and rental prices per square meter in European border regions, drawing on affordability mapping conducted within the project. It then explores methodological opportunities for developing cross-border housing market indicators, building on insights from ESPON BIG DATA: Cross-border housing markets in Europe. Adopting the definition proposed therein, cross-border housing markets are understood as functionally integrated areas where a critical mass of households live and work across borders, generating new spatial relations between employment and residence.
The paper then focuses on the Luxembourg case study within the Greater Region. Luxembourg, a major financial centre and host to European institutions, features the highest wage levels in the EU and a substantial share of cross-border commuters. Median sales prices per square meter are approximately three times higher than in neighbouring Belgium, Germany, and France, while rental prices are roughly double. By modelling affordability using both local and Luxembourgish incomes on either side of the border, the analysis reveals strong spillover effects, particularly in adjacent French and German regions. These findings demonstrate how cross-border income differentials reshape local affordability and housing opportunities.
By integrating European-wide mapping with a detailed cross-border case study, the paper advances conceptual and empirical approaches to measuring housing affordability in integrated border regions and highlights the need for more coordinated cross-border housing governance.