the city and the country are two Central categories that help to organize the complex three-dimensionality of the Federal Republic of quickly. They are so effective that the policy is still the assumption prevails, the city and the country were so different that, in principle, other policy objectives and instruments are needed – one focused on infrastructure development in the country and on social Integration in the city.
town and country shows gross categories of
In reality, the question of poverty and wealth, however, increasingly clear that town and country are much to rough categories, to be able to important challenges in the Federal Republic of Germany for the upcoming ten years edit: the simultaneity of growing and shrinking spaces, the “Colorful-Will” of the company.
this is not To say that it makes no difference whether you live in the countryside or in the city – you., think only of the differences in the availability of supply facilities, public TRANSPORT, etc. But you can see on closer inspection that the Federal Republic is characterized, in many cases, by right-flowing and “soft” Transitions between city and country, and between the forms of city and country is more important to be
come On! What must not change now, so that Germany falls back to
Germany is proud of its reputation as a “country of inventors”. There are many fields where we are world class – but also many where we fall back. FOCUS Online has asked experts in various areas, such as, for example, social security, digitization, environment, or infrastructure, what not to do in their respective area of expertise, so Germany loses the connection. The resulting guest posts we will publish in this series to FOCUS Online.
Here you can find all the parts of the series.
Not all cities are the winners
This space-constellation is characterized by a gradient. It is a gradient that runs predominantly from the city to rural areas, and thus a center-periphery structure. The Population forecast for the state of Brandenburg until 2030, for example, shows how with increasing distance from Berlin, the population will decrease is higher and by how much so that Berlin will act as a center in the next ten years. This can also be taken as a rule of thumb: the more rural areas are far from the metropolises, the greater their structural problems.
For a more detailed analysis of town-country – or better of the centre-periphery gap to recognize, however, that not all cities belong to the winners. Cities are very diffuse, there is population growth such as population shrinkage, wealth, poverty cavort. On top of all the circles and circle-free cities with the highest social security benefit salary per inhabitant cities: Gelsenkirchen, Bremerhaven, Essen, Berlin, and Herne, are five great. Cities in the Hotspots of spatial inequality in the Federal Republic of are downright.
It goes to the specific place and its need
What does that mean? A political Thinking and Action along, both urban and rural areas brings with it a little, it covers the diverse and even contradictory spatiality of the Federal Republic of Germany. Ultimately, it is the actual place. In it are interwoven social, Economics, politics, and culture to a locally specific structure. The concrete place, with what it lacks, but also what distinguishes him, is the starting point for a future-oriented policy. About the guest author
Marc Redepenning Professor of cultural geography at the Otto-Friedrich-University of Bamberg. His areas of focus include the importance of local identity and local knowledge for rural development processes, as well as the relations between urban and rural areas in General. In addition, he is working to participation of citizens and civil society participation at the local and district level.
Before discussing the Background, it makes more sense to think in places of need, and that’s not a deficit point of view gains the upper hand – at the same time, always existing capacities and capabilities in these locations to be considered. In short: Every place has its own Strengths and weaknesses, which must be equally political.
town and country are much alike
What this vision may mean a shift for the relationship between the city and the country? It relieves rural communities to strive to copy as much as possible of urban structures. Under the condition of a stagnant or even a shrinking population can’t succeed at all – and it also leads to a bizarre dog-eat-dog competition between the municipalities, unfortunately, is already noticeable. Just look at the designation of industrial or building areas.
Instead, such a perspective shift that helps the city and the country realize how alike they are in many respects. The perspective shift also helps rural and urban communities as a special value to recognize as places of local knowledge. It is a Knowledge that we use up-to-date rare and not motivating enough. Therefore, it is difficult to convey to the people a sufficient sense of self-worth. Just the need for a stronger focus on the demand for equivalent living conditions.
local authorities need funding better
tap, Politically, all of this is, in particular, to strengthen “soft” support pillar: The policy needs to focus more on Practitioners, which understand themselves as communicators and coordinators and are able to connect the different policy levels (EU, Federal and Länder), with their complex funding structures.
in particular, they should help the municipalities to better navigate the funding jungle. Who is in small municipalities, on the road, know that there are sufficient funds that can be tapped, because often personnel and the necessary Knowledge are missing.
The people take seriously the inner
The task of this Practitioner, and practitioner will also be sharing and learning networks between the city and the country to establish; the digitization (when it arrives because, hopefully, finally, everywhere in the country!) can help here.
And you will eventually have the responsibility to be “there” to take the people in their Worries and hopes seriously, and to support, to make their communities self with, to dismiss the state from its responsibilities to the General interest.
All that would be necessary in order to address the diversity of the city and the country adequately. We don’t get – so the whole of society and not only in politics, but such a rethinking, it loses Germany in the next ten years, parts of its spatial diversity. All parts of the FOCUS-Online-serial “is not On’s, Germany”