The questions we set out to answer in this report were: 1) What conditions in rural parishes in outlying areas are important in order to create positive rural development?, and 2) What is the role of learning and exchange of experience in rural villages and communities to positive rural development?
To answer the questions, we conducted a questionnaire survey and follow-up qualitative interviews and ethno-photographic interviews in five rural parishes with one parish located in the peripheral areas of each of the five Danish regions. The five parishes were Nees in Lemvig Municipality, Øsløs in Thisted Municipality, Tranderup in Ærø Municipality, Øster Ulslev in Guldborgsund Municipality and Rutsker in Bornholm Municipality. The parishes were selected by virtue of that they had turned their population development from being negative in 2000-2005 to being positive (Nees, Øsløs, Tranderup, Øster Ulslev) or less negative (Rutsker) during 2005-2010. The parishes had between 372 inhabitants and 664 inhabitants in 2010.
The study looked at positive rural development in the form of increased settlement and clarified the extent of and reasons behind what causes people to move to rural parishes in outlying areas.
The main reasons for why people have moved to the five parishes and why the parishes have experienced population growth are: 1) nature, 2) low house prices and 3) community. Especially nature, but partly also low house prices and the community can thus be considered important conditions for settlement in rural parishes in outlying areas and as parameters, local citizens themselves can use if working strategically in attracting new residents.
The results show, however, that there are differences between parishes and that they therefore have different starting points in relation to attracting residents through nature, house prices and community development.
The study also reveals institutional capacity in the parishes, insofar as parishes are able to implement and organize a wide range of activities locally. None of the parishes are working systematically with strategic rural development, but more with the development of their parish indirectly through their football club, parish council or flea market. Institutional capacity can specifically be identified in relation to that which has to do with mobilization and participation in joint activities. The condition for positive rural development seems to be that support is provided to the diversity of local institutions and associations that 'take the community on their shoulders' if communities with lifting capacity are demanded. The conditions for positive rural development are different in the different parishes, but greatly influenced by the citizens who live in the parishes who can influence development.
The study showed that the majority of respondents considered ‘country-life’ and everyday life in ‘the country’ as significantly different than in cities. Nature and the weather had an impact on everyday life, confidence and tolerance was considered greater and life was considered less stressful. The study further showed that even though nature was the main reason for moving to the parishes, nature was articulated quite differently in the five parishes. Similarly, there could be traced quite a big difference between the five parishes in the way that everyday social relations were discussed. An analysis of the relationship between nature and landscape on the one hand and the social relationships and local interactions in everyday life on the other hand, showed that community understandings can be reflected in the way in which nature and landscape is articulated.
Recommendations for what rural citizens can do themselves in light of the above-mentioned results are:
- Be even more aware of how nature and landscape qualities are developed and become more accessible and work to get the local nature qualities articulated in a way that they interact with the community.
- In collaboration with local and external parties, to create flyers, exploit and market the local natural qualities both externally in relation to any new arrivals, but also internally in relation to the citizens who already have moved to or have always lived in the territories.
- Work with what the current community understanding is and with how to integrate newcomers which the study shows, have expectations to the local community.
- Continue to point out that public authorities must rally around the local associations and individuals who take community on their shoulders locally.