PURR. Potential of Rural Regions

1. 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

2. Outline 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

3. 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

4. PURR 4 Step Methodology 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 • Explain possible applications of the methodology Stakeholder perspective • Collecting information on territorial assets 1. Four step methodology

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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 municipalities in Latvia 2.

10. 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

11. PURR: potential of rural regions Processes and dynamics of rural change Thematic Approach from EDORA project 3. Processes and dynamics of rural change

12. PURR: potential of rural regions 4. Rural potentials pyramid

13. 13 Source: PURR Draft Final Report

14. PURR: potential of rural regions Target statistical and quantitative data Questions for stakeholder analysis 6. Territorial Assets

15. PURR: potential of rural regions 6. Territorial Assets

16. PURR: potential of rural regions S W O T A n a l y s i s 5. Territorial Assets

17. 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 Implementation Options of policy implementation 6. Development of policy options

18. 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? • 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 Operating paper mill in Ligatne town. Combining potential of industrial heritage, tourism and nature – intosmart planning approach. Environmental Society in Jaunpiebalga. Local education center of environmentally friendly farming practices and rural ways of living. Example of the development despite the state approach. 6. Development of policy options. Example

19. PURR: potential of rural regions • Scenario Value • 1. ..... + • 2. ..... + • 3. ..... + • 4. ..... + • 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 towards wellbeing • • Development of social capital and networks • • 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 Dominant policy posture: Adapt to future -more resilience -flexible -realistic 6. Development of policy options. Example

20. 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. Lessons learned

22. 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

23. 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