of Plattform Land to strengthen the rural area in South Tyrol
As a partner, motivator and moderator, Plattform Land supports all stakeholders in rural areas with holistic initiatives to establish rural areas as a sustainable living space for the future. To this end, it intends both to network stakeholders and to initiate and supervise the necessary processes and projects. Monitoring is planned to measure the achievement of objectives. The guiding principle of Plattform Land is to help people to help themselves. It therefore promotes and strengthens the initiative and participation of the local population and decision-makers in implementation. The strategic task is to strengthen and raise public awareness of the concerns of rural areas.
Rural areas are under great pressure to adapt. Due to demographic and structural change, spatial conflicts of interest must be resolved and, in particular, future prospects for the young population must be developed. At the same time, entrepreneurial competitiveness must be maintained through the targeted valorisation of existing local potential, taking social and economic developments into account. Due to its membership structure, Plattform Land is also to balancing interests while involving the people.
In order to preserve the function and vitality of rural communities, the main towns in the valleys also play an important role. They must be supported in maintaining services and services of general interest for the surrounding communities in the spirit of subsidiarity. In addition, vacant buildings should increasingly be used as service centres and innovation hubs as well as for multi-generational living and as housing options for employees (especially in the areas of health and social services). This strengthens the vitality of rural areas, promotes innovative entrepreneurship and at the same time conserves resources and is therefore sustainable.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION FOR A SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT STRENGTHENING OF RURAL AREAS
1) CO-OPERATION AND NETWORKING
Improve the social, economic and ecological framework conditions for realisation-oriented cooperation and partnerships within the same sector and across sectors regionally and supra-regionally in order to increase the quality of life and added value:
- Demanding and strengthening inter-municipal and urban-rural partnerships to a greater extent
- Involve cross-sector networks in projects
- Promote results-oriented cooperation between the various local business associations and those of the social partners, voluntary organisations, tourism associations and municipalities
- Support cross-generational cooperation with the involvement of volunteers and associations more strongly, and utilise the opportunities offered by citizen participation, including through citizens’ cooperatives
- Facilitate the social integration of immigrants and support them through various measures
2) DECENTRALISATION AND SERVICES OF GENERAL INTEREST
Strengthen decentralised services and public services of general interest in small and medium-sized municipalities and keep fractions alive. Digitise services and establish new forms of work in rural areas:
- Guaranteeing fast internet across the region
- Securing local supply and social services: These include, for example, food, local products, postal and parcel services, child and elderly care, village shops, catering businesses and craft enterprises, as well as other services important for local supply. Among other things, service centres that combine the aforementioned services can be set up.
- Expand local child and elderly care services
- Expand local public transport through multimodal hubs (rail, bus, bike, car sharing, parking) in combination with the South Tyrol Pass in an intelligent and environmentally friendly way in partnership with business and society
- Maintain the rural path network, taking into account the various requirements (drivers, hikers, bikers, etc.)
- Introduce digitalisation in the medical field (digital health records, electronic prescriptions, etc.), new technologies (telemedicine, blister packaging, telepharmacy, etc.) and local healthcare and home care.
- Supporting the municipalities in integrated village development
- Strengthening the user-friendliness of existing services for citizens and companies through the use of modern technologies and streamlining procedures in accordance with legal requirements.
- Expanding digital public administration services in a citizen-friendly way without leaving anyone behind
- Create smart workplaces/coworking spaces in the valleys, primarily in vacant buildings, to revitalise the villages and local cycles and reduce commuting
- Promote business relocations and expansions in rural areas, prioritising land-saving inner-city development where available
- Strengthen local cycles and the competitiveness of local companies through decentralised procurement opportunities
- Maintain decentralised education and vocational training structures
3) SUBSIDIARITY
Strengthening municipal autonomy and self-determination, including in financial terms:
- Provide sufficient resources for (new) municipal tasks, especially for inter-municipal cooperation, taking into account economic, social and climate change.
- Expand financial incentives and support for sustainable development projects such as energy communities, intermunicipal business parks or sustainable tourism
4) ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Promote the sustainable competitiveness and viability of companies:
- Strengthen initiatives for the creation or expansion of competence centres, networking, cooperation between research and industry and investment in research and development in rural areas
- Targeted promotion of innovative start-up companies in rural areas and compensating for locational disadvantages through appropriate funding
- Promoting the circular economy and entrepreneurial innovations that focus on resource efficiency and conservation
5) VOLUNTARY WORK AND THE THIRD SECTOR
Maintaining and strengthening voluntary work and supporting the third sector to ensure a vibrant rural area in the future:
- Targeted promotion of young talent
- Commitment to reducing bureaucracy
- Networking, support and qualitative development of local volunteer work
6) NATURAL RESOURCES AND CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
Prioritise and strengthen the preservation of natural resources and biodiversity in times of climate change. Sustainably utilise and protect outstanding and characteristic elements of the natural and cultural landscape and safeguard the quality of the habitat:
- Strengthen the preservation of natural resources (water, soil, air, etc.) and biodiversity in rural areas, including through resource efficiency
- Promote climate change adaptation more strongly at local level and strive for insurance solutions in this regard; involve rural areas as part of the solution
- Protecting the natural and cultural landscape and balancing different interests
- Provide sufficient funds for monument and ensemble protection, landscape conservation and environmental programmes
7) INTELLIGENT LAND USE
As space is limited, the aim is to achieve sustainable development of land consumption. The principle of old before new and the reduction of land consumption through intelligent solutions applies here:
- Identify vacant residential and commercial properties, realise their value through internal development and, if necessary, put them to new uses
- Consolidate existing buildings and vacancies and put them to new uses
- Take into account the advantages of rural areas (soft location factors, availability of space and real estate, price level) to relieve the urban centres in an area-friendly manner
- Offer nationwide expert energy and refurbishment consultations at reduced rates in conjunction with awareness-raising measures and information on funding opportunities
- Strengthening landlord protection against loss of rent and damage, introduction of a solidarity guarantee fund
- Increased promotion of the valorisation of vacant properties to make renovation more attractive than new construction on greenfield sites
- Pursue the expansion of renewable energies in an area-conserving manner, prioritise areas that are already sealed and further develop urban-rural partnerships in this area
- Examine and implement the unsealing of suitable areas on a pilot basis
- Promote space-saving flexible housing models that take into account the changing needs of the population and focus on the need for affordable housing for the local population
- Promoting the valorisation of vacant properties that have not previously been used for residential purposes, e.g. by waiving intervention fees, with the state providing financial compensation for the municipalities