Vincent Pijnenburg is a proud ‘Borderlander’, having grown up in Venlo. “I’ve always spent time crossing the border, be it on my race bike, for work or as an amateur cartographer. I think everyone deserves the change to experience what it’s like to be a Borderlander”.

Pijnenburg studied Spacial Planning at the Radboud University in Nijmegen. When the opportunity to study abroad and cross the border again arose, Vincent spent a year studying City and Regional Planning at Cardiff University in Wales, United Kingdom.

Dad to a newborn son, he now works as a lecturer and PhD candidate at Fontys Crossing Borders in Venlo and is still connected to the Nijmegen Centre for Border Research as an external PhD candidate. What excites him are working on regional developmental possibilities. “You can’t escape the cultural differences. Worlds literally collide at the border.”

It’s one of the reasons he loves travelling so much. Or rather, being in transit, because for Vincent it could simply be jogging or driving a car. “To experience the different, unique and ever-changing landscape. To me it doesn’t make a difference whether this is Blitterswijck or Italy.”

The borders play an important role in his life and have helped shape his unique vision of borders. Will and should borders fade? Not if Vincent has a say. “The thing is, you are only utilising half of the circle if you’re not taking advantage of being a Borderlander. There’s more job opportunities within a 100-km radius from Venlo than there are in the Randstad.”

Want to find out more about Vincent Pijnenburg’s vision? Make sure to register for TEDxVenlo!