Kranjska Gora - September 2012

The Demochange project invited experts, researchers and interested people to the final project conference which took place in the Hotel Larix, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia on 26th and 27th September 2012.

The conference was organized as a mixture of applied practice and applied science - following the structure of the DEMOCHANGE partnership!

Photos, presentations and reports are available now!

With the SWOTTOOL you can do an online SWOT analysis on demographic change. Go to www.swottool.de and try it!

Lindau, Salzburg, Kranj, Aosta - June/July 2012

Broaden our view on the demographic change challenges for Alpine regions

The EXPERT DIALOGUE will give an insight into the results of the DEMOCHANGE project and the chance to discuss their applicability to other apline countrys and regions. We will also present Pilot Actions from our model regions and renowned speakers will widen our perspective.

For further information, please change into your language (see top right)

Or download the information in Englisch: Save the date - Expert dialogues

February 2012 - Souh Tyrol:

Making the hiking area in the north of Brixen even more attractive. This was the main objective of Viattiva, a communication concept by design students within the framework of the DEMOCHANGE project, which has been pursued by the School of Economics and Management on an European level. “Viattiva takes a new glance at the hiking trails and entices both tourists to discover and local residents to rediscover their environment”, explains Prof. Christian Upmeier, who supervised the students during the development of the project.

The core of this project, developed by Sandra Chmielowski, Elisa Kirbst, Ronja Leine und Julia Ostarek, consists of a hiking map with a trail network, which connects the four municipalities Mühlbach, Rodeneck, Natz-Schabs und Vahrn to each other for the first time. The hiking trails have been clearly structured by the students through different colors and the places of interest around the region were marked with specifically designed pictograms.

[...]

Maria Rickenbach/Nidwalden - January 2012

„Revitalize old knowledge” was one of the prioritized project ideas during the public conference in September 2011 in the model region Nidwalden, Switzerland.

This project idea’s focus is the preservation of the knowledge of traditional handcrafts, like the weaving mill and the distillery in the convent of Maria-Rickenbach. This convent is situated in a small mountain village, also called Maria Rickenbach. In January important stakeholders of this village; representatives of the mountain railway, the priest of the church, nuns of the convent, the manager of the hotel and restaurant as well as representatives of the local tourism and the canton came together for a meeting located in the hotel in Maria-Rickenbach. The participants discussed together about ideas to support the tourism and the preservation of the old knowledge in this little village. Also given capacities and possible potentials have been figured out in discussion rounds moderated by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences. In a next step a concept for the tourism based on the values of the convent will be developed.

The DEMOCHANGE PHOTO CONTEST will be an important part of this scientific research project.

The submitted photographs, series of photographs and photo-reportages should show alpine regions and the changes in housing, the appearance of villages and changes in infrastructure imposed by the emigration of young people and the aging of society. They can also show these effects on the behaviour of people in alpine regions: throwing the towel on the situation as well as fighting for new ways to live a successful live in the countryside.

There is a rich diversity of topics the photographers can choose from.

click here to read more on DEMOCHANGE PHOTO CONTEST!

Piedmont - July 2011

First milestone of the project achieved!

A lot has been done during the last one and a half years. The first work packages are already implemented when looking back on the first halftime of the international EU project DEMOCHANGE project.

...more information about the DEMOCHANGE mid-term conference ->

1st September 2011 - Škofja Loka Hills

RAGOR conducted online survey among young people in its pilot area.

In it, young people have expressed their views on demographic changes, housing values and future plans. The survey involved 123 young people. As the most noticeable demographic changes they recognize increasing of share of elderly and moving of young people from mountain areas to the valleys. However, respondents to the questionnaire do not consider the region as demographically endangered, as young families in the region has enough children. Young people between the housing values most appreciate the natural environment and the friendliness of the locals. As far as the negative attributes are concerned the young in the survey emphasize the lack of common places for gathering and more various cultural life. RAGOR will try to include these findings in the pilot activities.
More detailed results of the survey are available in attached document (only in Slovenian language).

Škofja Loka Hills - July 2011

During the first half of 2011 the Development Agency of Upper Gorenjska carried out meetings with focus groups of elderly and farmers in the pilot area of Škofja Loka Hills. At the meetings there was presented the project and the demographic situation, shown by the data collected, to local representatives of the focus groups. As part of a guided discussion, stakeholders presented their views on the demographic situation in the region, which is otherwise not known as a demographic endangered area. Nevertheless, due to scattered settlement and mountainous surface the area face other problems.
Information obtained from the meetings will be used in developing of pilot activities. Their content will try to solve common problems and aspirations of all three focus groups. In August pilot activities and their final content will be presented and discussed with municipality representatives.

Lucerne - June 2011

During the last months the DEMOCHANGE project partner Lucerne University of Applied Sciences, School of Social Work, and Interface - Policy Studies Research Consulting launched surveys to the topic of demographic change.

Survey in Nidwalden:

In Nidwalden they asked several hundred companies concerning the impacts of demographic change as well as regarding the availability and qualification of the labour.

Survey in Seetal Lucerne:

In four communities of Seetal Lucerne they asked persons in the age of 45+ with respect to their needs. Main focus was given the needs concerning their living conditions in elder years and services that go along with living in age.

The results of both surveys will be launched in summer 2011.

Contact: 

Daniel Matti, Interface (Seetal)
Rike Stotten, Hochschule Luzern (Nidwalden)

Goldegg - May 2011

How municipalities and regions shape with demographic change

This was the motto that followed about 50 representatives with various backgrounds like politics, administration, regional and city planning, sociology, integration and labour market policy. At Schloss Goldegg they exchanged ideas about projects and strategies concerning demographic change.

Walter Blachfellner, District Administrator and responsible for the ressort of regional planning of the municipality of Salzburg, opened the dialogue workshop.

Workshops with different topics invite for dialogue

After a brief introduction to the project and the official opening of the flying exhibition by project manager Heidrun Wankiewicz, the three workshops were launched. They dealed with practical examples concerning the intercourse with changes in society due to ageing, immigration and emigration as well as a profound social change.

The following questions lead to discussions:

1. How is it possible to continuously develop the quality of living as well as the social and public utility infrastructure when demographic change is presumed?

2. How can the quality of a location and the quality of labour still be guaranteed when demographic change is presumed? How can one meet with the emigration of the young and highly qualified professionals? How can one make use of the knowledge/know-how of the elderly professionals in a region?

3. How is it possible to engage and participate citizens when dealing with these challenges? How are they able to help shaping their local/regional future?

Flying exhibition can be requested

Following an intense dialogue Franz Dollinger and Andreas Koch, both project partner from Demochange team Salzburg, closed the event and invited the participants to order the flying exhibition.

More information concerning the dialogue workshop

Order of the flying exhibition

Garmisch-Partenkirchen - February/March 2011

At the demochange kick off meeting in October 2010, the present local players identified care & social welfare as well as economy & tourism as the main challenges for the future development of the district Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

For each of the challenges, selected stakeholders gathered on the 18th February 2011 (care & social welfare) and on the 25th February 2011 (economy & tourism) in order to discuss about specific challenges, chances and risks for the region. Further meetings of these steering groups are planned for mid of May. The aim is to gather development objectives as well as concrete measurements ready for applying by the end of the project. This should enable an active contribution to the future development of the region.

For more information please contact +49 (0)8821 / 94316-42 oder per Mail hoermann(at)alpenforschung.de zur Verfügung

weitere Informationen zum Projekt

Piemont- February 2011

On 28th February 2011,the second workshop of the DEMOCHANGE project partner UNCEM will be held in Monastero Bormida. Regional actors are invited to discuss about the consequences of the demographic changes within their region and how to cope with them.

The event will start at 03:00 p.m. and end approximately at 10 p.m.

For more information, please contact Mrs. Nuria Mignone from UNCEM, the National Union of Mountain Municipalities, Communities and Authorities.

Upper Gorenjska - February 2011

The participants invited to the third focus group of the DEMOCHANGE project in Upper Gorenjska, organised by the Urban Planning Institute, are involved in the tourism sector. The session took place in a highly tourism orientated Kranjska Gora. The members of the focus group assessed the position of tourism in their municipalities and the way demographic change affects it. While demographic change is already somewhat noticeable, tourism is only slowly adapting to it. Participants presented some of the possible solutions for adaptation of the tourism activity.

Upper Gorenjska - February 2011

Bled Youth Centre hosted Urban Planning Institute's second focus group of the DEMOCHANGE project, this time with youth from all four municipalities of the pilot region Upper Gorenjska The members of the focus group, mostly students, presented their views on how demographic change affects them.

They expressed quite some dissatisfaction with employment opportunities in their towns and villages. At the same time they see demographic change as an opportunity.

Upper Gorenjska - February 2011

The Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia conducted the first focus group of the DEMOCHANGE project in Upper Gorenjska, namely with senior citizens from all four municipalities of the pilot region. The Bled Retirees Association hosted an interesting debate on demographic change in the region and its consequences for current and future generations.

The seniors presented their views on demographic change in the regions and the reasons for it. They described the quality of living in their home towns and villages and the way it has changed through the decades. They also assessed possible measures to adapt the environment and services to the ageing society.

Aosta - February 2011

Aosta Valley Regional Administration  Palace
- Manifestation Hall -  h.16.15
1, Deffeyes Place

The workshop aimed firstly at promoting the DEMOCHANGE project, where the Economic and Social Observatory is one of the project partners.
DEMOCHANGE project partners commit themselves to develop in their geographical realities some concrete pilot actions. These aiming to help to better understand the impacts of demographic change, specifically within the mountain regions and to lead to the start-up of a transnational network to exchange results. In that field, the Observatory illustrated to the different stakeholders which kind of pilot action is developed in Aosta Valley Region.

Pilot Action presented

It consists of an immigrants integration measurement system which is based on a set of sensors. This activity is developed  in cooperation with FIERI (Forum of International and European Research on Immigration). FIERI’s presentation deepened integration concept, concerning which nowadays do not exist any shared neither scientific nor political definition, illustrated the main aspects and timings of the  “Services, Sensors of Immigrants’ Integration” project.
The workshop also gave the possibility to all the participants to know something about integration evaluation experiences (strengths and weaknesses) raised up in different territorial contexts like Emilia-Romagna Region, Bozen Autonomous Province and the City of Vienna.

more information is available on the website of Regione Valle d'Aosta

Fusch a. d. Großglocknerstraße - February 2011

One issue in talking about demographic change in peripheral regions is how to deal in future with decreasing social infrastructure and services because of declining and aging population. Currently offered regional planning and development strategies are mostly inappropriate to fix those problems in small towns and villages. In order to involve all residents of age and gender, the mayors of Fusch and Lend-Embach in Unterpinzgau region start to adopt a new kind of governance approach within their communities: Activating more public participation in the discussion about future needs for social infrastructure and services. The citizens of both villages will get an opportunity to supply their own opinions and wishes.

Therefore, mayor Leonhard Madreiter (Fusch) invites to a public evening event on February 1st 2011 with the theme “Our future Fusch”: at the elementary school gym at 7:00 pm.

When?         1^st February 2011, 07:00 p.m.

Where?        at the elementary school gym Fusch

On February, 3^rd 2011 at 07:00 pm mayor Peter Eder (Lend-Embach) follows with an invitation to a discussion about „Lend-Embach 2020“ at the Handlwirt.

Please contact for more information:
Madeleine Koch, MSc
Tel.: +43.662.8044-5289
madeleine.koch@sbg.ac.at
www.demochange.at

Upper Gorenjska - December 2010

Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia presented the project DEMOCHANGE to the proposed members of the steering group from the municipalities included in the pilot region Upper Gorenjska (Bled, Bohinj, Kranjska Gora and Gorje). The presentation, which took place in Gorje, was supported by the second Slovenian partner in DEMOCHANGE i.e. RAGOR Regional Development Agency for Upper Gorenjska. Demographic changes in Europe, in the Alps, in Slovenia and in Gorenjska region, as well as aims, goals and expected results of the project DEMOCHANGE were presented. The members of the Steering group were informed about their role of the project.

The Steering group will help to ensure an active role of local communities and local people in the project and help to guide the project in such a manner that the results will be most useful for the pilot region. The steering group members will first take part in the completion of the analysis of the region with an emphasis on demographic change; later they will participate in the decision regarding pilot actions and their realization. They will also take part in the promotion and dissemination of the project in the region.

Kempten – December 2010

In December, the thematic Workshops for DEMOCHANGE started in the region Allgäu. These are the follow-up events of the successful and well attended kick-off event in August 2010. By invitation of the Allgäu-Initiative, regional stakeholders and actors from the region came together in the ZAK Kempten for three thematic workshops.

At the kick-off event, the following focal points have become apparent for the participants:

• Care, seniors and age
• Labour market, education and family
• Tourism and health

Relating to this points, professional groups has been formed, who were working in smaller groups to indentify fields of action for the implementation of pilot projects. The participants discussed strength and advantages as well as weaknesses of their region. At the end of the workshop they gave their vote for the main important fields of actions.

The next meeting will take place in February 2011. This event will aim on the discussion and development of concrete measures.

For further information of the project or the results and work of the professional groups, please contact Mrs. Marion Anwander of the Allgäu-Initiative or send us an e-mail.

 info(at)demochange.org

Kontakt

Projektbroschüre DEMOCHANGE Allgäu

Salzburg - November 2010

Marching under the slogan "hands-on science", the University of Salzburg presented themself this year from 4th to 6th of November at EUROPAPARK Salzburg. In various exciting projects on the topic of science, children, students and adults could get an idea out of this interesting topic.

The University of Salzburg represented as a project partner Demochange and discussed with interested visitors. Within a game of strategy they wanted to show to the audience the regional and social contexts of the demographic change and tried to make them sensible for this.

The aim was to raise awareness and to gain new insights about the perception of the issue among the population. Afterwards, the project partner will initiate a discussion about the experiences with the stakeholders of the model region.

more at uni:hautnah

Garmisch-Partenkirchen - October 2010

On Thursday, 28th of October 2010, the DEMOCHANGE partner from Garmisch-Partenkirchen organized the first event of the project within their region.
First findings of the project and the analysis of regional data have been presented. Afterwards, the project responsibles discussed the issue with regional stakeholders and established focus groups to elaborate adaptation strategies and pilot activities.
The aim of the event is to raise awareness among the public and to create a basis for the planning of adaptation measures.

read more...

Sonthofen - August 2010 

The administrativ district "Oberallgäu" and the organization "Allägu-Initiative", who is responsible for regional management, are project partners of DEMOCHANGE. In Sonthofen, they organized the DEMOCHANGE kick-off event the region Allgäu. The participants were responsibles along the municipal level and the fields of economy, tourism and social development.

Approx. 470.000 people live in the region called "Allgäu" and appreciate it as a high-quality area for working and living. Because of that, there is a need to stabilise the future development of the region with regard to the demographic changes.The goal is to form the demographic change in a positive and sustainable way for the own region.

This workshop was the first milestone unifying... more

Free University of Bolzano/Brunico - July 2010 

Cross-generational and touristic adaptation strategies

Majors and representatives from the municipalities Franzensfeste, Mühlbach, Natz-Schabs, Rodeneck and Vahrn accepted the invitation of Hugo Götsch, Hans Karl Wytrzens, Barbara De Candido and Emanuel Valentin to the first DEMOCHANGE steering group meeting organized by the Free University of Bolzano.

To be part of a sustainable development which evolves with the needs of our people, as the DEMOCHANGE slogan suggests, is one of the main goals the steering group is aiming at. Furthermore, South Tyrol is a region where demographic change plays also a crucial role in tourism, since tourism is one of the major economic sectors. Hence, the steering group decides that the planned pilot activity has to merge cross-generational and adaptation strategies for tourism.

more...

Salzburg - June 2010

The department of Geography and Geology and the Wissenschaftsagentur of the University of Salzburg are working close together for the project DEMOCHANGE. Their scientific work also integrates students in order to create a connection between researching and teaching. The project work of the students aims at examining different points of view of the demographic change. For that reason, several key topics have been elaborated for the lectures:

• perception
• economy
• infrastructure

The student project work ended with a public event on the 25th of June 2010 at the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Salzburg.

program (in German)       press cutting         short report (in German)   

Lucerne - May 2010

On the 25th of May, the first swiss focus groupof DEMOCHANGE, existing of several local farmers, met up in Ennetmoos, Nidwalden. Röbi Furger, the initiator of the marketing platform www.drachenried.ch, is also member of the steering group of the project DEMOCHANGE in Nidwalden. The meeting was moderated by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences (School of Social Work). The participants discussed and examined different points of the demographic change, like threats and risks as well as opportunities and potentials - especially related to the field of agriculture and rural areas. more...

Bolzano/Bozen - May 2010

We are pleased to announce the addition of two new team members for DEMOCHANGE: Prof. Dr. Hans Karl Wytrzens, scientific supervisor, and Dr. Emanuel Valentin, project assistant. more...

Salzburg - April 2010:

The Salzburg project partners initiated DEMOCHANGE on regional level with a quite successful kick-off event in Werfen, a municipality in the region Pongau, south of Salzburg.
Almost 70 experts from the fields of spatial planning, regional development, youth and family, gender mainstreaming, anti-discrimination, job market and education came to inform themselves about the trends and impacts of the demographic change in the south regions of Salzburg. more...

Lucerne - March 2010

Swiss project partners, Interface - Policy Studies Research Consulting and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, School of Social Work, have taken their first steps in establishing their regional steering group in Nidwalden. After the presentation of the DEMOCHANGE Project, they exposed their first results on demographic change in Nidwalden and worked out the tasks of the steering group.

at the University of Applied Sciences Munich/Department of Tourism

Munich - January 2010

DEMOCHANGE - Susanne Forster already joined the team last November as the responsible for the transnational project management. Now she got a new colleague to complete the team at HM. Alexander Veser is geographer and since January fulltime employed research assistant for DEMOCHANGE.
Welcome to the Team!