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Study of Smaller Towns: Size and Importance in Europe

This study examines the size and potential importance of smaller towns in Europe, highlighting their impact on economic, social, and cultural life in their sub-regions. The research aims to provide evidence and research to support actions that strengthen small European towns.

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Study of Smaller Towns: Size and Importance in Europe

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  1. Study of Smaller TownsTheir size and potential importance in EuropePresented inPOTSDAM, GermanyNovember 2010 Valerie J Carter President ECOVAST International & Chair ECOVAST UK

  2. Context • Retz conference • jointly run by ECOVAST; Lower Austria and South East England • Highlighted a real policy gap with regard to ‘small towns’ • Yet small towns provide a real focus for economic, social and cultural life in their sub regions interacting with other towns as well as their hinterland of villages and the countryside • Action to Strengthen Small European Towns • needed to be backed by evidence/research

  3. Study covered all Europe

  4. Purpose of Study • How many people in Europe live in small towns ? • do 50% of people live in large towns/cities ? • What is a small town ? • How important are small towns ? • could they have a more effective voice in Europe

  5. The Research • Looked at the different ranges of population • split into several categories • Larger towns/cities – 3 sub categories • population over 1 million • population over 250,000 but less than 1mill. • population over 50,000 but less than 250,000 • Smaller towns/cities – 4 sub categories • population 40,000 to 49,999 • population 30,000 to 39,999 • population 20,000 to 29,999 • population 10,000 to 19,999

  6. What is a ‘small town’ • Study has chosen 10,000 as the lower limit • SEEDA study concluded that all settlements above 10,000 provided a good range of services • supermarkets; range of shops; magnet traders; employment; secondary schools; administrative offices; cultural attractions; accessibility etc • 16 rankings (by function were established) • 4 main categories- Top; Upper; Middle; Lower • 179 towns agreed originally • 14 did not meet the functional criteria • 9 ‘top’ rural towns; 22 ‘upper’ rural towns

  7. What is a ‘small town’ 2 • It is not about historic ‘towns with Charters’ • eg: Oxfordshire, England has many Charter towns but more then half are now ‘villages’ • Bastide towns in France • Upper limit can be decided later

  8. Data sources • Study covered all of Europe • European Union • non European Union • except European Russia • Wanted a single compatible source for all countries • Tageo.com provides information for more than 2.6 million towns/cities globally • Secondary sources needed for some countries • Michelin Red Guides

  9. Findings: Larger Towns • Spain; UK & Belarus have over 50% of their population in towns/cities over 50,000 • Estonia; Latvia; Lithuania; Netherlands; Bulgaria; Ukraine; Serbia & Macedonia have 40-49% of their populations in towns/cities over 50,000 • There are 1,341 towns/cities with populations above 50,000 • with a combined population of nearly 218 million

  10. Findings: Smaller towns • There are 5,517 towns with populations of less than 50,000 • 440 (3.3%) pop. between 40-49,999 • 768 (4.4%) with pop. between 30-39,999 • 1,388 (5.8%) with pop. between 20-29,999 • 3,191 (7.5%) with pop. Between 10-19,999 • Belgium; Netherlands; Switzerland; Macedonia; Finland; Portugal; Iceland have more than 20% of their towns with populations below 30,000

  11. Graph showing different sizes of towns

  12. Percentages of population by size bands

  13. Rural Areas • There are 244.6 million people living in places where the population is under 10,000 • 41.7% of the population of Europe • Undoubtedly some of this will be ‘very small town’ settlements • it will not all be rural populations • Difficulties of comparable data sources • Some additional work needs to look into this • possibly for one or two countries • agreement would need to be made on what constitutes a ‘town’

  14. Further study – very small towns • Germany - additional 899 ‘towns’ below 10,000 population • 44% of all German towns • 462 between 5.000 & 9,999 pop. • 437 below 5,000 pop. • Population 4,802,148 • 5% of the population of Germany

  15. Further study – very small towns • Very small towns in France • Populations of Sous Prefectures • by definition administrative centres – a functional criteria of a ‘town’ • 150 SP’s • 30% less than 10,000 populations • some only 1,500

  16. Conclusions • The average ‘urban’ population across Europe in places of over 50,000 is 37.2% • More than 80% of the towns in Europe are below 50,000 population • 1,388 towns are between 20,000 and 29,999 • 3,191 towns are between 10,000 and 19,999 • Together these small towns have a population of more than 77 million • 13.3% of the population of all Europe • larger than all European countries except Germany

  17. Conclusions 2 • These 77 million people should have a much stronger voice • Many are run by strong municipalities • They should work together to influence European politicians • They could help shape future policy • And avoid a total dominance of an urban based approach

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