Transformation of rural mountain areas in the Alps
The third edition of the AlpPlan Summer Course focused on the transformation of rural areas in the Alpine region and how this can be shaped through integrative planning and management. The UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch in Switzerland provided an inspiring example of how sustainable regional development could be implemented and what challenges exist along the way. Twelve participants from various Alpine countries and with different professional backgrounds were selected from more than 80 applications.
The Summer Course was made possible thanks to the voluntary support of various individuals and institutions: The UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch administration provided the venue, and science coordinator Florian Knaus led exciting excursions with the group. The course programme was jointly designed by PD Dr. Marco Pütz (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL), Prof. Dr. Sabine Weizenegger (University of Applied Sciences Kempten) and Dr. Arthur Schindelegger (BOKU University Vienna), who acted as the main scientific supervisors for the participants.
In addition to interactive discussions and group work among participants, the event was enriched by input presentations from Switzerland and beyond: Miriam Meuth (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts) presented current insights from a research project on housing and displacement processes in rural tourism regions. Gilles Rudaz (Swiss Federal Office for the Environment) presented landscape-related policies in Switzerland that are designed to ensure the integrative implementation of the Swiss landscape concept. Sarah Mader (Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture) focused on the role of agricultural policy in land management and regional development in rural areas of Switzerland. Živa Novljan (Permanent Secretariat from the Alpine Convention) presented findings from the 10th Report on the State of the Alps, which examines the quality of life in the Alpine region from various perspectives.
During the summer course, innovative ideas and examples were discussed on how to overcome the various challenges facing rural Alpine regions. Participants worked closely on existing cases related to the respective work and research topics. In addition to formulating desirable visions for the future and identifying implementation steps using “backcasting” methods, the aim was also to identify success factors for designing transformation processes.
In summary, it was found that transformation can be successful if…
…it is a collaborative process,
…engaged practitioners share a vision,
…landscape is considered a shared responsibility,
…basic services for a decent life are provided,
…cooperatives (consorti) are aware of their political impact,
…the territorial governance system is simplified, and
…stable regional investments are available.
For further information about the AlpPlan Network visit our international website: AlpPlan Network | ARL-International
