Project partners from Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Poland and Russian Federation are characterised by decline in started or already advanced stadium and involving local and regional partners with strong citizen’s participation and support by other key experts - partners like universities, planning and development institutions and Vorderland linking authorities. Hinterland project partners areas are characterised by decline in started or already advanced stadium. The scope of the decline of the inhabitant's number since last 3 - 5 years is -2% to -7%. The forecasts for the next 15 years expect -5% to -43% additional.

The Baltic Sea Region is characterised by various Hinterland areas in a distance of 50 km and more to coastal zones and to metropolitan areas and larger cities. Most of these Hinterland areas suffer from a long-term decline in population, Europe has not experienced for hundreds of years. Decreasing demand of employment in agriculture and in lesser competitive SME structures with an increasing mobility makes people move away from Hinterlands additional, leading to lesser active and over-aged population, lesser economic and social activities and waste of houses and infrastructure. This process might create a 'downward spiral' accelerating and combining several decline processes with waste areas, loss of central functions in neighbouring towns and decreasing attractiveness and competitiveness of whole regions.

The project aims to manage the process of decline in the Hinterland region by modern, innovative spatial development approaches. Decline has to be organised even where no or only few potentials can be found or expected, affecting a stronger consciousness about decline and its long-term character. Potentials usable in spite of decline must be bundled and mobilised most effectively - using bridges to neighbouring "Vorderland" regions for wider co-operations.

Exemplary investigation involves more than 100 villages in the whole BSR leading to decline scenarios and typology. With the enhancement of knowledge about the facets of decline the project partners will be able to develop foresights and development strategies for future settlement structures, rural-urban business relations, transport and infrastructure matters as well as landscape and agriculture aspects, and apply them in their pilot activities. The Hinterland Transnational Network will accompany this process and sustain close co-operation with the European and Baltic Sea Region development visions and policies.

Main result of the first reporting period is the initiation of awareness to decline issues in mostly new established local and regional networks. Discussion of decline information packages in regional and political levels and presentation of results from first local and regional analyses have sensitised on decline aspects in development items. Elaborated decline schedules and decline checks of existing/hidden potentials were discussed on local meetings as well.

The approach was in so far new, as the decline dimension became very concrete on local levels, not allowing the concerned actors to escape behind illusions and dreams. A new experience was to meet local and regional frustrations about not with promises and projects but encouraging them to find out their own risks and chances, thus leading to substantial discussions in public awareness (in villages, in press) but also to enhanced motivation for local and regional Hinterland networks to manage decline issues by new approaches in bundling or optimising potentials, ideas and Vorderland co-operations. Discussion process continues.

Decline Networks were formed on local level (8 so far – increasing next MS) and regional level in DE, DK, LIT and PL. Project partners got benefits from trans-national networking, already. Also, started: performance of partner’s potentials overview and analyse of programmes/plans under decline issues.

ERDF: 517,674 euros.

The BSR Interreg III B co-finances the project with 500.000 euros during the period 01/2006-12/2007. Total budget of the project including national co-financing and Tacis financing is 980.000 euros.

Regional Planning Authority Havelland-Flaeming
Oderstraße 65
DE-14513 Teltow
Germany
Mr. Harald Knauer, tel. 0049 (0) 3328/3354-0

04/01/2006

case

Urban Policy

Economy knowledge & employment