Territories in transition: the Uruguayan-Brazilian border

This essay examines the process of territorial restructuring in the Uruguayan-Brazilian borderland with a focus on the Mirim Lagoon Basin, in the context of two main driving forces, regional integration and decentralizing reforms. The analysis considers three different scales: the integration blocs in South America, the concerted programs of Brazil and Uruguay for integration and development of the bi-national borderlands, and the sub-regional level where projects of infrastructure are carried out. The results of research reveal that the role of institutions has been crucial in identity formation, increase in exchanges and interactions of cross-border scope, and in the design of proposals of endogenous development, although there is still incipient connection between innovation and local initiatives. The essay concludes that there are contradicting goals among restructuring projects and challenges to be addressed particularly in terms of risks for the environment, management of natural resources, and processes of decisionmaking relative to the borderlands agenda.