NORDIC
NORBA
PURR. Potential of Rural Regions
Territorial potentials and cooperation for growth
and jobs in rural regions
Visvaldis Valtenbergs, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, Latvia
ESPON Open Seminar “European Territorial Evidence for
EU Cohesion Policy and Programming,” Aalborg, Denmark, 13-14 June, 2012
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Four step methodology
Overview of case study regions
Processes and dynamics of rural change
Rural potentials pyramid
Territorial assets
Development of policy options
Lessons learned
Notodden,
Norway, Lead
Stakeholder
Amata,
Latvia
LP: Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research, NO, Steinar Johansen
London South Bank University, UK
Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, LV
PURR 4 Step Methodology
1.
2.
3.
4.
Top down
Benchmarking each
stakeholder region in a
European context
Regional context and
stakeholder perspective
Assessing region’s territorial
potential
Developing policy options for
future development
Data,
indicators
Bottom up
Innovative
methodology
Assess territorial potential
Stakeholder perspective
Collecting information on
territorial assets
1. Four step methodology
Explain possible
applications of the
methodology
PURR: potential of rural
regions
Key issues: North Yorkshire
2 economies
Hidden deprivation
Dissolution of regional knowledge
networks and resources
Rurality not made visible by current
statistical categorisation
2. PURR case study regions: North Yorkshire, England
PURR: potential of rural
regions
Key issues: Dumfries and Galloway
Regional development or rural development?
Rural character and problems less well
recognized than other areas with stronger
profiles and lobbying mechanisms
Nationally dominant city regions agenda
Seasonal tourism product
Loss of services
2. PURR case study regions: Dumfries and Galloway
PURR: potential of rural
regions
Key issues: Cambrian Mountains
Ecosystem goods and services: how to
extract, capture and retain value
Product marketing and branding
Tourism development
Sustainable communities
Laboratory for sustainable rural initiatives
Re-establishing links urban – rural, urban
- urban and rural – rural
2. PURR case study regions: Cambrian Mountains
PURR: potential of rural
regions
Key issues: Notodden
Industrial development - From large, dominating
plant to SMEs within the manufacturing sector
Tourism based on Nature and Industrial heritage
Notodden Town as regional centre and hub in
regional transport infrastructure
Important to keep population numbers intact.
One-person households
Place attractiveness
2. PURR case study regions: Notodden, Norway
PURR: potential of rural regions
Key issues: Amata county and
surrounding municipalties, Latvia
Demographic decline
Declining quality of human and social
capital, structural unemployment, lack of
qualified workers, weak entrepreneurial
culture, low level of innovation.
Increasing costs of service delivery and
infrastructure maintenance.
Growing social, economic disparities
between remote rural areas and
urbanized areas around small town.
Fragmented administration and different
stakeholder perceptions and priorities.
Limited public funds and instruments for
local governments to steer development.
Cesis Art Festival
PURR case study regions: Amata and surrounding
2. municipalities in Latvia
PURR: potential of rural regions
Reflections from case studies
Stakeholder driven process
Diversity of rural typologies is a challenge but also an opportunity to
develop more applicable template and methodology
Rural development agendas
Town vs. rural development
Making rural issues more visible
Building on past heritage
Dealing with economic, demographic situation and declining public
funding
2. PURR case study regions
PURR: potential of rural regions
Processes and
dynamics of rural
change
Thematic Approach
from EDORA
project
3. Processes and dynamics of rural change
PURR: potential of rural regions
4. Rural potentials pyramid
What kind of
knowledge?
Who has it?
Advantages
Disadvantages
Local
knowledge
Endogenous. Tacit.
Experiential. Deeply
embedded in
community. Often –
aspatial. Mostly
qualitative
Locals
Place based,
contextual, detailed
depiction of local
rural reality
Difficult to unlock.
Loss of broader
perspective
Scientific
knowledge
Exogenous. Mostly
quantitative. Based
on accumulated data
and/or existing
theoretical
generalizations
Scholars.
Standardized,
quantifiable, can be
reused and
generalized
Cannot provide
accurate in-depth
description of local
rural realities and
context
External
knowledge
Exogenous. Based on
previous work
experience
Experts,
consultants
Perspective of
involved outsider
Knowledge based
on success stories
from other
instances that
cannot always be
transferred from
place to place
Scientific
and
statistical
databases
13
11.3.12
Source: PURR Draft Final Report
PURR: potential of rural regions
Target statistical and
quantitative data
Questions for
stakeholder analysis
6. Territorial Assets
PURR: potential of rural regions
6. Territorial Assets
PURR: potential of rural regions
S
W
O T
Analysis
5. Territorial Assets
PURR: potential of rural regions
Drivers
Contextual: Demography, economy, rural development, energy, transport, climate change, value change
Policy related: Global, EU, state, regional and local, sectoral
Strategy
Strategic postures and portfolio
of actions
Development narratives
Prevailing development
paradigms, values and
possible policy responses
6. Development of policy options
Implementation
Options of policy
implementation
PURR: potential of rural regions
Power:
• From small kingdoms into policy networks
Visions of policy implementation (Courtney, 1999)
• Top-down orientation – quick fix approach to labour
market, wealth creation, economic development
brings wellbeing, competitive ethos
• Need grassroots visions – fair trade localized
economies, community engagement, long term
approach to capacity and asset building
Implementation options (Hague et. al., 2011)
• State has limited resources to deliver development
• Market cannot always deliver local development in
the form and place it is wanted. What are the
options?
–
–
–
Operating paper mill in
Ligatne town. Combining
potential of industrial
heritage, tourism and nature
– into smart planning
approach.
Project state – based on project partnerships
Development despite the state – focus on community
effort, training, networking and scaling up of
successful projects
Smart planning - focus on heritage and landscape
conservation, but needs technical capacity, knowledge
and investment
6. Development of policy options. Example
Environmental Society in
Jaunpiebalga
Local education center o
environmentally friendly farmin
practices and rural ways of living
Example of the developmen
despite the state approach
PURR: potential of rural regions
Advised actions for Latvian case study
No regret moves (win-win)
•
Place marketing and attractiveness
•
More added value to traditional regional industries
•
Development of human capital – health, education, greater orientation
Scenario Value
towards wellbeing
1. .....
+
2.
.....
+
•
Development of social capital and networks
3. .....
+
4.
.....
+
•
Investments in energy efficiency and focus on renewable energy
•
Innovations in local governance (especially in service delivery) and
education (professional education, life-long learning)
Options (it depends)
•
Hard investments soft investments.
•
Investments in large scale agro-business vs. small scale farming
•
Investments in large industrial projects (environmental concerns)
•
Fossil vs. renewable energy choices for municipalities.
•
Further amalgamation of local municipalities
Big bets (dilemmas)
•
Planning of services and concentration of development resources in
major development centres (large towns) vs. more equity driven
approach
•
Allowing international immigration to compensate decline in population
vs. keeping the borders closed
6. Development of policy options. Example
Dominant
policy
posture:
Adapt to future
-more resilience
-flexible
-realistic
Lessons from PURR
How to identify rural potential?
• Practical methodology combining diverse approaches and
types of information
• Prepare methodologies that are generic, flexible and intuitive
• Focus on holistic approaches (people, place, power)
• Focus on opportune moments of delivery of results
Challenges
• Rapidly evolving context
• Better coherence of stakeholder regions needed
• Data availability issues
• Pragmatic response to diverse stakeholder demands
8.11.3.12
Lessons learned
NORDIC
NORBA
PURR. Potential of Rural Regions
Territorial potentials and cooperation for growth
and jobs in rural regions
Dr. Visvaldis Valtenbergs, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, Latvia
ESPON Open Seminar “European Territorial Evidence for
EU Cohesion Policy and Programming,” Aalborg, Denmark, 13-14 June, 2012
PURR: potential of rural regions
Rural development narratives:
•Agri-centric narrative in remote areas, and rural-urban narrative
in more urbanized areas near transport routes.
•Amenity based development, diffuse industrialization, and
exploitation of natural resources.
People:
•Demography. Development of silver economy, attracting young
people and families from urban centers.
•Social and cultural integration. Main emphasis on health, poverty
reduction, education.
Place:
•Local economy: support to industries aiming at higher efficiency
and competitiveness in traditional sectors, such as forestry, milk
processing and extraction of non-metallic minerals. Looking for
new tigers.
•Transport: more investment in motorways.
•Energy: towards greater energy-efficiency, lacks coordination and
investment to develop green energy sector.
•Agriculture: Lean towards sustainable rurality scenario with
greater diversification of agriculture, focus on locally grown
products, stronger landscape management.
•Climate change: Evident, but region lacks adaptation strategy.
6. Development of policy options. Example