In this study we reexamine 68 villages, which were examined five years ago, so as to explain the growth in population that the villages had experienced. The six parameters that were applied as an explanatory framework in the study from 2008 is the focal point in the analysis of the population trends from 2007 to 2013. The six parameters are distance, infrastructure, nature, local engagement, the partitioning of building sites and public and private services. The data has been collected via the internet and through visits to 11 villages and the corresponding interviews with 23 respondents, who reside in the villages.
The study of population trends shows that only 13 of 68 villages have retained the growth in population experienced from 2007-2013. Likewise it shows that the parishes that are the furthest distance from a town or city have experienced an increase in the number of young women and men between the ages of 18-25, while they have experienced that the 30-40 year old men and women to a great extent are moving away from these villages. There is furthermore a decrease in the number of children aged 0-5.
Data collected through desk research regarding the six parameters indicate that several villages have been affected by public budget cuts, which especially increase the demands for mobility. There are, however, differences between the villages, and the data does not provide a clear picture of explanations to why 13 of the 68 villages have retained the trends of population growth. The study from 2008 reached a similar conclusion.
In regard to distances, participatory observation and the statements and photos of the respondents point to distance not being a problem for the people who live there, but a problem for people visiting them. In regards to infrastructure it is mainly the local roads for cyclists and pedestrians that are significant to the quality of life. The statements of the respondents show that nature is particularly important to newcomers and the people who live in the villages. Local engagement is increasing in many villages according to the respondents, especially because they are experimenting with new ways of organizing voluntary work. Construction has stalled somewhat, but when still ongoing many young people utilized the opportunity of the low prices to enter the housing market. The grocery store is, as indicated in the study from 2008, considered a central venue for meeting other villagers. The budget cuts in public transportation are a problem, particularly for the young and the elderly.
The report concludes, in regards to the six parameters, that there is a need for political decision making concerning exogenous factors, for instance to ensure access to the nature and landscapes, as well as to ensure increased mobility for young and elderly people. In regards to endogenous factors the study concludes that there is a need to develop new and more flexible ways of organizing voluntary work in the villages.
Finally, the study submits four recommendations for initiatives that concern these exogenous and endogenous factors.