New Regimes for Rural Development

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New Regimes for Rural Development

• Hannu Katajamäki
• Professor (Regional Studies)
• University of Vaasa
• Faculty of Public Administration
• Jämsä 6.10.2006

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Traditions of administration in Europe

• Centralized
• Weak provincial or regional administration, weak
  local administration
• Bipolar
• Strong central and local administration
• Regional
• Strong regions/ provinces

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The challenges for local communities in Europe

• Globalization
• Glocalisation local meets global
• Ageing of population
• Migration
• The organization for welfare services the
  interplay between public services, business
  services and services provided by the NGOs.

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Some definitions for rural

• Rural refers to childhood and urban to
  aduldhood.
• Rural refers to quite different kinds of areas
  in different countries, and this makes
  international comparisons relating rural areas
  hard. Rural is a relative and cultural concept.
• Wide landscapes, looser forms of population
• Specific geographical areas.
• The place for production of raw materials,
  energy, and food. Source of labour force for for
  the cities
• Rural refers to places for recreation
  opportunities.
• Rural is not equivalent to agriculture any more
  the meaning of rural is changing

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Rural areas interact with towns and they are
connected with national and international
development. Rural areas are versatile in nature
they are communities of scattered settlement,
villages, and small-town living, formed by
skilled, strong-willed people.
Finnish definition
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The idea of New Countryside mosaic of
different activities

• Farmers of new millenium
• Farmers producing for niche markets
• Microclusters
• Different forms of services
• Teleworking
• Commuter countryside

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Conclusion new kinds of local regimes are needed
to be able to build New Countryside
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Regime

• Interplay between local government (including
  officials and local politicians), firms, NGOs and
  expert organizations
• Shared goals and values
• Strong social capital We succeed together or we
  dont succeed at all.
• Regimes are the core for new local governance

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Local Action Groups and the New Regimes for Rural
Development

• The transfer mechanisms for best practices are
  too superficial by copying from each other or by
  arranging beauty contests for projects we
  dont really learn nor create innovations. The
  core is social innovations mixing own
  traditions with flows from outside.
• Local Action Groups are promoters for social
  innovations, downloaders of ideas.
• Local Action Groups are important content
  providers for new regimes for Rural Development.
• Local Action Groups are bridges between public
  admistration, firms, expert organizations and
  civil society.

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Principles of the New Regimes for Rural
Development suggestions

• Sustainable rural development
• Increasing the degree of processing
• Cultural pluralism
• Equal opportunities
• Partnership