Over centuries the "Via Regia" had been one of the most important trading routes in Europe, connecting the East and West of the continent. Due to the political situation after World War II, it almost completely lost this function. Some years ago, with the fall of the Iron Curtain, new opportunities emerged for a development axis contributing to European integration and improved relations to neighbouring non-EU Member States in the future. However, a rough analysis shows already that various obstacles and barriers considerably impede the process of European integration along the "Via Regia". This is particularly the case regarding the restricted accessibility of node cities and metropolitan areas which are characterised by a poor transport infrastructure especially in border regions, and regarding missing links to other development corridors and neighbouring countries. Objective of the ED-C III project is the elaboration of an integrated spatial development strategy for the area along the Pan-European Transport Corridor III, which is a part of the former "Via Regia". The corridor connects important economic centres of the European Union like Berlin, Dresden, Wroclaw, Katowice, Krakow and Rzeszów and also provides connections to Ukraine (Lviv, Kiev). It is therefore of high relevance for future economic development and further integration of the European Union to strengthen the co-ordination of spatial development in the corridor through project partnerships and intensified co-operation. The project will be implemented by a thoroughly composed consortium of project partners from regions and cities along the "European Development Corridor III" with key competencies in spatial development, including partners from neighbouring countries and from Ukraine. The work of the partners will particularly focus on the Polish-Czech-German and the Polish-Slovak-Ukrainian border areas. Expected Results: The planned results of the project are: - Integrated spatial development strategy for the European Development Corridor III “Via Regia” based on development, agreement, assessment of development scenarios and by using existing development strategies, - Strengthening of node cities and metropolitan areas through improvement of accessibility by co-operation and co-ordination of spatial development, - Further Development of connections to other development corridors and neighbouring countries, - Strengthening of border regions projects as connecting “interfaces”, - Analysis of conditions for regional development along the “Via Regia”, - Rising awareness of the European Development Corridor III “Via Regia”, - Intensification of networks of decision-makers.