Strategies for preventing the decline of peripheral areas

The gap between urban centres and peripheral areas is widening and the depopulation of remote regions is increasing. In the less appealing areas, infrastructures and production plants are being wound up or, at east, not developed at the same rhythm as in urban agglomerations. Switzerland’s New Regio...

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Main Authors: Martin Boesch, Erich Renner, Dominik Siegrist
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institut de Géographie Alpine 2012-07-01
Series:Revue de Géographie Alpine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/rga/1396
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author Martin Boesch
Erich Renner
Dominik Siegrist
author_facet Martin Boesch
Erich Renner
Dominik Siegrist
author_sort Martin Boesch
collection DOAJ
description The gap between urban centres and peripheral areas is widening and the depopulation of remote regions is increasing. In the less appealing areas, infrastructures and production plants are being wound up or, at east, not developed at the same rhythm as in urban agglomerations. Switzerland’s New Regional Policy (NRP) focuses more intensely on the economy than the previous policies did. It no longer targets regional balance, or maintenance of regional occupation in decentralized areas thus preventing depopulation of mountain regions, but is focusing on promoting economic centres. Although a sustainable regional policy must be implemented, it is also fundamental to define clear objectives and a range of conclusive measures for the peripheral areas. At the same time, the obstacles of the sectoral policy still in effect today, must be overcome. It remains to be seen what is likely to happen in regions that have been substantially and structurally weakened by decades of depopulation; regions where investors prefer not to venture to develop resources that are still available. Regional policy must discuss this issue openly, and also determine how a desired and structured decline may be implemented in certain regional areas. It would be considered highly ineffective to avoid such a subject, as this decline has been progressing for a long time, silently, quite invisibly, and in a totally disorganized manner until now.
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spelling doaj-art-fb2b310bb132446fbf3b378a8611dd552025-01-10T15:56:35ZengInstitut de Géographie AlpineRevue de Géographie Alpine0035-11211760-74262012-07-0199110.4000/rga.1396Strategies for preventing the decline of peripheral areasMartin BoeschErich RennerDominik SiegristThe gap between urban centres and peripheral areas is widening and the depopulation of remote regions is increasing. In the less appealing areas, infrastructures and production plants are being wound up or, at east, not developed at the same rhythm as in urban agglomerations. Switzerland’s New Regional Policy (NRP) focuses more intensely on the economy than the previous policies did. It no longer targets regional balance, or maintenance of regional occupation in decentralized areas thus preventing depopulation of mountain regions, but is focusing on promoting economic centres. Although a sustainable regional policy must be implemented, it is also fundamental to define clear objectives and a range of conclusive measures for the peripheral areas. At the same time, the obstacles of the sectoral policy still in effect today, must be overcome. It remains to be seen what is likely to happen in regions that have been substantially and structurally weakened by decades of depopulation; regions where investors prefer not to venture to develop resources that are still available. Regional policy must discuss this issue openly, and also determine how a desired and structured decline may be implemented in certain regional areas. It would be considered highly ineffective to avoid such a subject, as this decline has been progressing for a long time, silently, quite invisibly, and in a totally disorganized manner until now.https://journals.openedition.org/rga/1396sustainabilityregional policyurban agglomerationsperipheral areasdecline
spellingShingle Martin Boesch
Erich Renner
Dominik Siegrist
Strategies for preventing the decline of peripheral areas
Revue de Géographie Alpine
sustainability
regional policy
urban agglomerations
peripheral areas
decline
title Strategies for preventing the decline of peripheral areas
title_full Strategies for preventing the decline of peripheral areas
title_fullStr Strategies for preventing the decline of peripheral areas
title_full_unstemmed Strategies for preventing the decline of peripheral areas
title_short Strategies for preventing the decline of peripheral areas
title_sort strategies for preventing the decline of peripheral areas
topic sustainability
regional policy
urban agglomerations
peripheral areas
decline
url https://journals.openedition.org/rga/1396
work_keys_str_mv AT martinboesch strategiesforpreventingthedeclineofperipheralareas
AT erichrenner strategiesforpreventingthedeclineofperipheralareas
AT dominiksiegrist strategiesforpreventingthedeclineofperipheralareas