THE FUTURE OF ROADSIDE VILLAGES IN DENMARK - four scenarios for the model village of Shrinksby - Dansk ...
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THE FUTURE OF ROADSIDE VILLAGES IN DENMARK
- four scenarios for the model village of Shrinksby
Table of contents Preface
P. 3 Introduction and primary recommendations Most Danish municipalities can anticipate a decline in population. This
will require adaptation and restructuring. The point of departure for
P. 10 Scenario 1 ’Letting things slide’ this project is that – in order that others may survive - some villages
will have to ’shrink’. In collaboration with seven municipalities, we have
P. 14 Scenario 2 ’Complete phase-out’ focused on villages heading for substantial population decline.
How then, does one actually proceed if one wants to shrink a village?
P. 18 Scenario 3 ’Thinning out’ That is the focal issue of the project New plans for Shrinksby where our
focus has been on the feasibilities available to the municipal planners
P. 22 Scenario 4 ’Relocation’ as well as on the barriers they are facing in connection with shrinking a
village. In the course of the project, it became apparent that one village
P. 24 Current possibilities, barriers and proposals type is particularly conspicuous. They are roadside villages having
sprung up at the sides of a road. The houses are in close proximity
P. 33 Appendix: Project method to each other – and to the road. This village type is facing two major
problems: The one problem is that, considering today’s substantial
supply of properties on the market, houses at the roadside become
Colophon unattractive, as buyers seek amenity value securely removed from noisy
and heavily trafficked roads. Another problem is that the state of decay
Published by: The Danish Town Planning Institute(Dansk Byplanlaboratorium), and disrepair of these roadside villages becomes extremely visible to
January 2014. The Danish Town Planning Institute is a private, independent passersby and tourists. This is why we chose to centre this paper round
institution that aims to showcase urban and regional planning in Denmark. the future of Roadside Denmark.
The Institute addresses town planners, students, public authorities and intere- The project was performed by way of a series of network meetings
sted citizens who wish to know more about town planning. held in the autumn of 2013. The participants were planners from the
Danish municipalities of Faaborg-Midtfyn, Hjørring, Lemvig, Lolland,
The project was funded by the Danish Ministry of Housing, Urban and Mariagerfjord, Morsø and Vordingborg in collaboration with whom we
Rural Affairs developed four different scenarios for the model village of Shrinksby for
the purposes of creating debate about this significant subject.
Text, editing and photos: Ny Øhlenschlæger, Ellen Højgaard Jensen and On behalf of the Danish Town Planning Institute, we would like to
Christian Broen, the Danish Town Planning Institute express our gratitude to the seven municipalities for the time and effort
they put into the project and for their constructive contributions and
Collages: Marise Fiebig, Gottlieb Paludan Architects sparring from the frontline.
Naturally, any statement and observation made in this paper will be at
Layout: Anne Solitander Bohlbro. the Danish Town Planning Institute the Danish Town Planning Institute’s own account. Enjoy your reading
and debating.
The Shrinksby calculator: Peter G. Madsen, Cowi A/S Director Ellen Højgaard Jensen
The Danish Town Planning Institute, January 2014
English translation: More Than Words
2
Introduction and primary recommendations
Introduction contemplated by state, municipalities and villages with
Project participants
respect to addressing the challenges represented by the Faaborg-Midtfyn Kommune:
Some villages struggle. Today, they experience declining roadside villages. Mai-Britt Helle Jensen, Head of Depart-
population figures, and they are up against empty buil-
ment,
dings and decay. Nationally, there are several locations Trine Hedegaard, Planner
where individual households are actually tied to their The project’s primary recommendations: Hjørring Municipality:
present homes because they find it impossible to sell. Helle Lassen, Head of Plan and De-
These days, there is a marked awareness with respect to • The challenge of having a considerable number velopment,
this issue; and, hence, government funds have been ear- of superfluous and outdated properties in the Bente Mouritzen, Planner
marked for supporting municipalities in rural and remote remote areas of the country will not disappear of Lemvig Kommune:
areas in their effort to tear down empty buildings. its own accord. Hence, official Denmark needs Kirsten Eldon, Head of Plan,
Merete Nørby, Town Plan Architect
to acknowledge the challenge and recognise the
Lolland Municipality:
But a few isolated examples of demolition are need for a national effort. Camilla Nissen, Project Manager
inadequate. It is necessary for the municipalities to Sille Clausen, Project Manager
differentiate and prioritise between the various types • In both political and popular debates, we shall Mariagerfjord Kommune:
of villages in long-term strategic municipal planning. have to break down psychological barriers to Allan Hassing, Planner,
The municipalities must plan where schools and other enable the discussion of village shrinking and Rita Mogensen, Planner
municipal services should be located in the future; also to break away from the conventional growth Morsø Municipality:
and, likewise, they must decide which villages should paradigm underlying the legislation on urban Ann-Sophie Øberg, MSc (engineering)
renewal as well as planning. Helle T. Bertelsen, Planner
be converted from actual urban communities to more Vordingborg Kommune:
scattered buildings comprising such amenity values as Peter Haugan Vergo, Deputy Head
• Though more funding is needed, economic
may exist Rosa Philippine Birckner, Architect
considerations should not be allowed to hinder
This project investigates how roadside villages with
a discussion about the future of the villages.
declining population figures may be shrunk or phased Seminar presentations by
Quite surprisingly, a rough estimate has shown
out in the best possible way to all the parties involved. In Poul Erik Jørgensen, Deputy Chief Exe-
that, for a municipality, the costs involved will be cutive, Nykredit
this project, we have focused on four themes, namely:
almost identical, regardless whether it is a matter Casper Sørensen, Consultant, Tanke-
Economy, Legislation, Physical Model; plus Communi-
of servicing a roadside village with a declining gang A/S
cation and Process. To a very large extent, the project
population for 20 years, or a matter of phasing Two village-council chairmen living in
is an academic exercise, and this paper is first and villages facing the same challenges as
out the same roadside village. This estimate does,
foremost intended as a contribution to the debate, but it Shrinksby
however, presuppose government funding in
also contains a number of relevant factors to be
connection with all necessary demolition.
3
There is a need for political debate about: There is a need to investigate:
• The attitude to the cultural heritage of the ro- • How new finance models may be developed for
adside villages plus a new understanding of the the purpose of helping home owners who are
physical and mental cultural heritage. What will tied to villages on the decline.
happen if, for instance, the main village road is
demolished? – Especially since this particular
road has constituted the backbone of the village
in its entire history? This is a far more radical • The market mechanisms and investments of
solution than what we anticipated at the outset. the supply infrastructures supplying e.g. water,
But, maybe, this is what it will take. electricity and sewage to all villages today. What
is their lifespan? When will they be depreciated?
And how can the supply infrastructure be sub-
jected to shrinkage?
• The relationship between exploiting and pro-
tecting the landscape. Also in this respect, new
mental imagery may be required.
There is a need to test:
• How a municipality can establish a 1:1 demon-
stration project, shrinking a village through a
positive process.
Examples of Danish roadside villages in 2013
4
The model village as method About the model village, Shrinksby
The shrinking and phasing out of villages is a very Shrinksby is such a roadside village, arisen with a
delicate subject - in political as in public debates; public road as its centre – a road which, today, is
and it is probably for this reason that, as yet, no mu- heavily trafficked. This road is flanked by rows of
nicipality has been willing to identify the name or small, frequently terraced, town houses of which
locality of a village destined for shrinkage. many are former shops with large windows facing
the road. They are built on narrow plots and, com-
Anyway, to address this issue in a very tangible pared with today’s standards, they are relatively First proposal for Shrinksby, June 2013: The village
manner, we decided to base the project work on a small houses. The traffic load gives rise to conside- comprises about 15-20 properties
model village: Shrinksby. The village of Shrinksby is, rable noise problems in these houses.
at one and the same time, a physical model and a
socio-economic, demographic profile. The village Around the church, which has been built on a hill,
structure has come about as the result of a dialogue a few older houses are scattered. They are all with-
with the project participants from the seven muni- drawn from the road, commanding a fine view. The
cipalities; and, hence, it contains easily recognisable terrain slopes away from the church, and in the op-
characteristics of villages from all over the country. posite end of town, a stream runs past the village.
To begin with, we, at the Danish Town Planning In- Shrinksby also boasts a minor single-family-house
stitute, suggested that Shrinksby should represent development dating back to the 70s and eight se-
a minor village comprising 15-20 properties. In our nior homes. Next proposal for Shrinksby, August 2013: The vil-
discussion with the participants, however, it transpi- lage comprises about 50 properties.
red that, probably, such very small villages will not Shrinksby has a population of approximately 150 vil-
represent any major challenge. This part is rather lagers living in approximately 130 residential proper-
played by the somewhat larger villages located im- ties of which about 20 are empty. The composition
mediately next to a heavily trafficked public road - of population is a broad mix, although the majority
the ‘roadside villages’. of the villagers generally belong in the relatively
Final proposal for Shrinksby, November 2013: The
village comprises about 130 properties.
5
lower-paid income group: There are some welfare Four scenarios and one calculator
Provincial Town with claimants and even more senior citizens, either re-
most nearby school, ceiving early retirement benefits or old-age pension. The following pages offer a presentation of four
care home, highly caricatured scenarios describing the de-
municipal services, etc There is a modest local business community in the velopment of the model village, Shrinksby, over a
village which, in 2014, comprises a builder, a hair- 20-year period from 2014-34. These scenarios have
dresser working from home, a so-called backyard evolved in the course of the project in collaboration
mechanic and a home office. In addition, the village between the project participants. They have emer-
boasts a medieval church, a grain silo plus a village ged from the dialogue about the physical model as
Settlement vil- hall which is partly subsidised by annual municipal ideas on how the municipality may in actual fact
lage. funding. handle the shrinkage effort in connection with a
Village hall village such as Shrinksby. For the purposes of this
Shrinksby is located 15 km from a smaller provincial project, we established a calculator that includes
town providing municipal and private services such the most essential municipal expenditures involved
Shrinksby as nursery, school, healthcare centre for senior citi- in both servicing and shrinking Shrinksby over the
zens, and supermarkets. Further, Shrinksby is neigh- next 20 years. The point of departure for the cal-
boured by two smaller villages – each with potential culation is the surplus expenditure involved in the
for settlement and tourism. municipality’s servicing the Shrinksby population
as compared with the expenditure involved if the
villagers were living in the smaller provincial town.
Calculations were made for each of the four scena-
Tourism village, rios – being:
petrol station and
service kiosk
5 km
Tourist attraction
Shrinksby’s surroundings and neighbour towns
6
’Letting things slide’ ’Thinning out’
The key characteristic of this first scenario is that The third scenario is characterised by the
Shrinksby is left to its own devices for the next municipality’s purchase and demolition of
20 years. In this scenario, the municipal service main-street properties in the worst condition,
expenditure is primarily concerned with the ad- whereas the best enclaves will be left untouc-
ditional time involved for service staffs to reach hed. There will be considerable purchase and
Shrinksby from the provincial town 15 km away. demolition expenditure in connection with the
I.e.: driving hours for e.g. school bus, home care, properties in poorest condition. This scenario
community nurse and binman. In addition to will thus mean a gradually declining village
which, there will be expenditures such as housing population, but there will be continued service
benefits, heating aid, idle-running of empty senior requirements.
homes, and the maintenance of public roads.
’Relocation’
’Complete phase-out’
The fourth scenario is somewhat similar to the
The second scenario is characterised by the mu- third, as the municipality will purchase and de-
nicipality’s rehousing of villagers and the purchase molish a considerable part of the poor proper-
and demolition of every property in Shrinksby ties. In the relocation scenario, however, this
with the land gradually being sold for agricultural will take place at a slower pace than is the case
purposes. This scenario is connected with con- in the thinning-out scenario; and, also, this
siderable one-time expenses for the rehousing scenario differs from the third, since here plan-
of the villagers plus the purchase and demotion ning permissions will be granted for moving
of property. However, the municipality’s service dwellings further away from the road and into
expenditure will decrease concurrently with the the landscape.
villagers’ move into the provincial town.
The model village, Shrinksby, in the caring hands
of the project participants. For the entire duration,
this physical model has been a useful tool. It has
changed appearance as the project evolved, thus
facilitating the concretisation of this complex and
delicate matter.
7
Scenario 1 ’Letting things slide’, by 2034
In this scenario, Shrinksby has been left to its own devices.
By 2034, 98 of the original 150 villagers are left. The
population is spread out on approximately 80 properties,
while about 35 properties stand vacant. The municipality
has already torn down some of the worst ruins.
8
9
Scenario 1
’Letting things slide’
2034: Annie Jensen, Retired hairdresser and former of course, my own salon. But gradually, the shops
owner of the salon ’Annie’s Haircut’, aged 75: closed. In 2014, the last second-hand
”
dealer closed. Only few people moved here – and
Shrinksby is not what it once was. It makes me sad certainly not anyone wanting to run a business in
20 14 to see20my1village
5 in such a dilapidated state… – I 2019 the village. The few young 2021 people coming here 2024
have, after all, been here my entire life. Many of the mostly moved into the single-family houses in
houses stand vacant. Mostly on The Road, where Mayor Madsen’s Enclosure. But gradually, even
I live myself, but also in the single-family-house those houses became hard to sell; and, in the last
development, Mayor Madsen’s Enclosure. It’s years, only few young have moved to Shrinksby.
difficult to tell which are in the worst state – the I have, of course, known most of the villagers
rental properties, or
Borgermøde omthose houses the heirs can’t before
første they
familie moved
flytter fra into a 100
careindbygge
home. Inrethe end,
tilbage over h
get rid of,Skrumpe
and thatlevs
are just dilapidating.
fremtid When the many of my customers
Skrumpelev og til alment were too walking-impaired oprind
owner has to move into a care home, the house to come
byggeri into the
i Provinsby . salon for their haircut. Then I went
will be put up for sale at a modest price. The sales to their places. There was a never-ending hustle
period may be several years; and, eventually, the and bustle of home carers and community nurses.
estate agent cannot be bothered to advertise for The most poorly received help up to five times a
buyers any longer. day. But by then, it was not long before they went
into a care home.
Fewer shops and more old people The houses that are let out are also in real poor
When I opened my salon, there were shops in many condition. Most often, they are located right at The
of the houses facing The Road. We had a grocer, Road; and there has been no drop in traffic over
a baker’s, a butcher’s shop and an inn; and then, the last 20 years. These houses will often be let by
Physically: 20 14 2019 2024
Gaps in the rows of buildings
Houses are demolished at random
- as voluntary agreements are
entered. There are gaps in the rows
of houses and the village structure
is gradually crumbling away.
10Communication/Process: Status quo.
The municipality provides service for
Shrinksby as always. Within this scena-
a family with a whole bunch of children. They have workshop buildings. rio, there is thus an absence of process
many sick days, poor things – not surprising, for Then there’s the village hall… It also has to be reno- and communication from the municipal
those dwellings vated. Of course the municipal authorities will repair authorities. However, this municipal ‘let-
are unhealthy. Maybe this is why they have learning the roof in case of falling tiles, and all that. But the ting things slide’ attitude may actually be
difficulties and need extra lessons. Often 2such
02 9 façade needs rendering. But then again, we20 don’t
34 considered a strategy as well.
families move overnight; but before long the house use the village hall much these days. 15-20 years
$
is taken by a new family who will then stay on for a back, a good many golden wedding anniversaries
couple of years. were celebrated there. Nowadays, it’s mainly used in
The municipality has demolished a few houses, connection with funerals.
leaving gaps in the rows of houses. But, after all,
halvdelenthis levsthan houses with gaping holes in
is far better
af Skrumpe Tied hand and foot Sidste hus rives ned. Allocation of the municipal expendi-
Scenarie 1 'Lade stå til'
deligt 130the
ejendom me er væk
roofs. My neighbour house was in a really poor I celebrated my golden jubilee at the salon when tures over a period of 20 years
Scenarie 1 'Lade stå til'
condition; and, therefore, the municipality bought I turned 65. I closed it and retired when I turned The municipal service
it and tore it down. They asked me if I’d be intere- 70. Ever since then, I’ve tried to sell my lovely expenditure on home-
Social og sundhed
Skolebus
Transportudgifter til kørsel
social og sundhed
sted in buying the plot, but I’d no interest in being bungalow. It has a sunroom and full basement, and
Kloak og renovation Skolebus
care help and district
Vedligeholdelse af offentlig vej
Opkøb og nedrivning
Kloak og renovation
Vedligehold af vej
encumbered by additional parcellation tax. Besides, it’s a commercial property. The initial asking price nursing, school bus,
Opkøb og nedrivning
Andet
I haven’t the strength to mow the lawn. A few years was DKK 495,000. When the selling period was driving hours to
ago, Tim the Chippie shut up his shop. Now, his close to 1000 days, we diminished the price by 50% Social og
Extra sundhed
costs for Shrinksby
Transportudgifterconstitutes
til kørsel
workshop is just an ugly ruin, appalling beyond - and then the estate agents gave up on me. What Skolebushours
driving
social og sundhed
by far the largest
words. The roof is falling down – and a danger to I want most of all is to move into town and closer Kloak og renovation
Sewage and renovation item Skolebus
– as compared
the kids who often play there. And, also, asbestos to my grand-children. But how will I ever get away Vedligeholdelsemaintenance
Public-road af offentlig vej Kloak og renovation
with expenditures if the
Opkøb og nedrivning
”
Acquisition and
and other toxic substances can be found in the old from this place?” demolition
Vedligehold af vej
inhabitants had lived in
Opkøb og nedrivning
Additional the provincial
Andet
town 15 km from
Shrinksby.
§
2025 2 02 8 2 02 9 20 3 1 20 3 4
Legislation: Status quo
This scenario will be possible within
the framework of current legislation.
The last golden anni- Annie closes her salon 100 inhabitants left in
versary to be held in the Shrinksby
village hall
11Scenario 2 ’Complete phase-out’, by 2034
In this scenario, all Shrinksby’s properties are bought and
demolished – one by one; and the villagers are rehoused in
the most nearby provincial town. Gradually, the properties
are sold for agricultural purposes.
1213
Scenario 2
’Complete phase-out’
2034: Søren Hansen, aged 57, is a farmer operating feelings: On the one hand, there were all the
a production plant, e.g. comprising 1,000 ha of farm memories; but, on the other hand, the houses really
land. were in a bad way and also much affected by the
noise from the heavy traffic on The Road. They
”
To demolish the village was a bold move, I think were years overflowing with angry letters to the
– but also a necessary one. You cannot operate editor of the local paper.
a modern agricultural production in a landscape
where a village pops up at every turn of the road. Social effort
Subsequently, the municipality put in a social effort,
Much protesting contacting every citizen and helping them to move
It was interesting to follow the process from the on. Many were highly sceptical. But suddenly, the
sideline. When, back in 2014, the municipality villagers began to trickle. The government’s special
published their plans for shrinking and – in the long pool for the social area, enabled the municipality
term – entirely phase out the village, it brought to facilitate removal aid for the most vulnerable
everyone to the barricades. Public meetings villagers; and this may, of course, have helped to
were held, and intense discussions followed. The speed matters along. Depending on their income,
municipality appeared, represented by the mayor, the citizens would receive a rather large sum – as
politicians, and the entire administration. The contribution to the rental deposit on a flat with
atmosphere was absolutely irreconcilable. The district heating in the provincial town, 15 km away.
municipality was adamant, however. Especially the In fact, I think many were relieved – in particular the
mayor, Henning, was sympathetic towards the villa- ones living in unsellable houses. Now, they were
gers, but also realistic. I know – for having grown offered an opportunity to move on; and also, the
up myself not far from Shrinksby - I participated in municipality entered into an agreement with the
those meetings; and for me there were also mixed mortgage bank, establishing an instalment plan.
Physically: Agricultural landscape 20 14 20 15 2019 2021 2024
Every house in the village is removed,
and the land is converted to serve
agricultural purposes. Only the church
and areas of natural beauty by the
stream are left. During this process,
Meeting of residents The first family leaves 100 inhabitants left in More than
the demolition of the houses is scat-
concerning the future Shrinksby for a commu- Shrinksby original 13
tered and random.
of Shrinksby nity flat in the provincial
town
14Communication and Process:
The municipality in the driver’s seat
The process is controlled by the
municipality. This requires political
Many of the other properties were sold to the muni- been built in the seventies, and were thus well over 50 unanimity plus extensive collaboration
cipalities for a token payment, after the mortgage years. across municipality administrations –
banks had written off the loans in the properties. in particular the social services and the
A new landscape planning and building administration,
Then there were the families living in the really I purchased the properties by degrees. In a few as they will coordinate their efforts
dilapidated rented housing. Actually, they also stood months, I take over the last land, when the last and allocate many resources to
$
to gain by the opportunity to move into better houses have been demolished. The municipality proactive work.
dwellings in council flats in Community-Support preferred that I took over the plots as the houses were
Town. They got improved housing standards; and, demolished. However, this would not have been to
as a consequence, their kids were less sick. my advantage. I bought them when there was 0.5 Allocation of the municipal
In 2018, the entire village was thoroughly photo- ha collectively. The Road has always been heavily
Scenarie 1 'Lade stå til'
expenditures There are two almost
graphed, and a book about the history of the village congested – and still is. But after the town sign was identical expenditures.
was published – now we have the memories. removed, there are no longer any speed restrictions. The orange represents
From 2019 and onwards, the project really gained The mayor tells us how the tourists appreciate the the municipal service
momentum. People began to move out, and soon fine landscape in this area. Today, this can certainly expenditures on driving
afterwards the houses were demolished. Each time be observed from the roadside. The same goes for hours for homecare help
you passed through the village, another element the scenically situated abandoned church: a beautiful Social og
Extra sundhed
costs for andTransportudgifter
district nursingtil kørsel plus
had been removed. church surrounded by its churchyard. I was, in fact, Skolebushours
driving
social og sundhed
school bus to Shrinksby.
By 2023 more than half the inhabitants had moved. approached by the municipality as to whether I’d put Kloak og renovation
Sewage and renovation Skolebus
The yellow represents
Over the next 5-10 years, the remaining villagers up land for three windmills here. This will be a fine Vedligeholdelsemaintenance
Public-road af offentlig vej Kloak og renovation
expenditures on
Opkøb og nedrivning
Acquisition and
slowly, but steadily, followed in their wake. Finally, location, as there are no dwellings in close proximity. demolition
Vedligehold af vej
rehousing, and on
the demolition had reached the part of the village I’m positive. Anyway, it’ll be difficult to turn my new Additional
Opkøb og nedrivning
the purchasing and
with the single-family houses. Like the rest of the machine in this area Andet
demolition of property.
”
village, they had gradually been worn out. Many had After 2034, when Shrinksby has been
completely phased out, the municipality
§
will have no expenditures.
2029 20 34
Legislation:
The inviolable right of ownership
Some villagers are moved against their
will; and the municipality is tampering
n half of Shrinksby’s The last house is demolished with the inviolable right of ownership. To
30 properties have disap- phase out the village, it becomes neces-
sary to resort to compulsory acquisition
– an option not available today.
15Scenario 3 ’Thinning out’, by 2034
This scenario presupposes a substantial thinning
out of the properties at the roadside. There are
about 50 villagers left; and they live in the 20
houses left of the single-house neighbourhood
opposite the church hill. A village green has
developed parallel to The Road – here a local
sheep guild keeps sheep.
1617
Scenario 3
’Thinning out’
2034: Mette Sørensen, 10 Mayor Madsen’s Enclo- that time, there was a row of houses at the roadside,
sure, aged 44. but they were small and sad and didn’t
”
I really enjoy living in Shrinksby. Here at Mayor in any way fit in with modern family life. And then
Madsen’s Enclosure, located some distance from it was extremely noisy at The Road. When the
The Road, I’ve wonderful neighbours and a nice old people died or went into care homes, no one
garden. They may have removed the town sign, would by their houses. By then, the houses were
but all the same it’s still a village. There are lots so dilapidated that you got the impression that the
of activities, and we’re a close-knit community. entire village was empty and ramshackle. But this
We look after one another and help each other. was not the case at all, you know.
When the children were younger, we had ‘fetch-
and-carry’ schedules; and now some of the senior A long-term plan
citizens have established a shopping scheme. I can Once, some of us put our heads together and
hardly count all the clubs and associations we’ve discussed what might be done about it. At that
set up. time, a few houses had already been demolished,
My kids were really taken with the sheep. When but that was not enough – not by a long shot. We
they were younger, we practically visited them held village meetings, and I was elected chairman
on a daily basis. The green where the sheep are of the village council. Since I’m a familiar face at
grazing is Shrinksby’s gathering point. This is the town hall, the others probably figured that I’d
where we celebrate midsummer and Christmas; stand a better chance of finding a sympathetic ear.
and, if you go for a walk, you always bump into But, as a matter of fact, this wasn’t at all difficult.
someone there. Arriving by The Road, you always Swiftly, Susanne from the planning department had
know you’re home as soon as you spot the sheep. organised a workshop meeting where we got the
opportunity to present our ideas to the politicians.
When we moved to Shrinksby, the village was As a matter of fact, the politicians were quite
bigger than today. At that time, it was already a cautious to begin with. They weren’t keen on the
Physically: somewhat quiet village. But my husband grew up idea of demolishing a large number of houses – and
Goodbye to ” Roadside Village” here; and therefore this is where we ended up. At maybe even set about it a bit heavy-handedly. But
Shrinksby comprises two house encla-
ves: A single-house area and, opposite
20 14 20 1 5 2018 2020 202
the church standing back from The
Road, a small group of older houses.
The many isolated trees planted in
the empty plots at the roadside lend The first trees are planted at
character to the village the sides of The Road
Initial village-council meeting A collective plan for the 10
about the future of Shrinksby development of the village is le
18 adopted by the local councilCommunication and Process:
then again, they never care to step on anyone’s toes – you can see that it was a really good idea.
How to support the villagers’ initiative
and, anyway, they only have a 4-year time perspective. Now all the trees stand in a row – almost as if
and energy?
The rest of us, who’d be living here for the next 30 they symbolise the houses. It looks really great to
The villagers apply to the municipality
years, were well aware that a bit more long-term
which is geared to exploit the villagers’
thinking was required. people passing through the village – like an
energy and innovative power. The
avenue, so to speak. You really pay notice to
municipality prioritises the village-
The outcome was the making of a plan targeted Shrinksby – even though the houses have gone.
thinning-out project; and the final
at the removal of all the houses along The Road. It The Sheep Guild was started up about the time
outcome of the effort towards a
seemed to be a very radical thing to do, but when the houses down by the stream were demolished.
removal of all the roadside houses
we got used to the idea, it made really good sense. It was when Hans, who was familiar with organic
evolves into an interaction between
The places where there was life were precisely in the farming, moved into one of the houses opposite
villagers and municipal professionals.
Mayor Madsen’s Enclosure, where we live, and then the church. So now, sheep are grazing there,
$
up by the church in some of the older town houses a and you have a view of the stream – it all looks
bit removed from the road. The people up there have so much nicer. The benches and the playground
always been very active types – artists and such. came later; and, actually, it has become the gathe- Allocation of the municipal expendi-
ring place of Shrinksby. The land on both sides of tures over a period of 20 years
A characteristic village The Road is still owned by the municipality, but we There are two almost
To begin with, the municipality demolished the senior are in charge of the maintenance. Scenarie 1 'Lade stå til' identical expenditures.
housing. Half the buildings were empty, anyway; and I was sad when the village hall closed. However, The orange represents
I happen to know that several of the old people were without any municipal subsidy, it was simply falling the municipal service
happy about moving into Community-Support Town, into decay. Instead, many of us use the village expenditure on driving
as this brought them closer to both the care-centre hall in the next village. For instance, I participate hours to Shrinksby
facilities and activities not available in Shrinksby. in a reading group and a knitting circle there. As for e.g. home-care
a matter of fact, I’ve made friends with a couple Social og
Extra sundhed
costs for help and district
Transportudgifter til kørsel
social og sundhed
When the first houses by The Road went down, it of girls from over there. Shrinksby is a wonderful Skolebushours
driving
nurses. The yellow
Kloak og renovation Skolebus
looked really strange. It looked rather gap-toothed. village – close to nature and room for differences; Sewage & refuse recovery
indicates expenditures
Vedligeholdelse
Public af offentlig vej
road maintenance Kloak og renovation
But then somebody came up with the idea to plant a and the provincial town is only 15 km away. My Opkøb og nedrivning
Acquistion on rehousing and
Vedligehold af vej
tree for each demolished house. That way, it became kids went to school here, and there are lots of the purchasing and
Opkøb og nedrivning
a festive day where we got together and celebrated shopping facilities. The houses are not so pricy
§
Additional demolition
Andet
of property.
each time a tree was planted. A really nice municipal here, and therefore we’ve been able to afford
landscape architect suggested planting them in a row. a few renovations of our house. I think we’ll
”
In the beginning, we found this a bit strange, but now continue to live here for many years to come. Legislation: How to facilitate the vil-
lagers’ further progress?
4 2025 2 02 6 2 02 8 2 03 4 There is a desire to remove certain
houses, but the compulsory powers
to expropriate and help people to
move on are not in place. Frequently
the residents are elderly people
The Sheep The last roadside house is
actually wanting to move away but
00 villagers Guild starts up The play- demolished.
being unable sell their houses on an
eft in Shrinksby ground and the arm’s length basis.
benches are 19
inauguratedScenario 4 ’Relocation’, by 2034
This scenario has been targeted towards a
substantial thinning out among the roadside
properties. Some of the villagers, having been
granted permission to move their rights to build
away from The Road, have built new houses. The
remainder of the about 50 villagers now live here
and there in the former village houses; and, in
total, there are about 20 houses left.
2021
Scenario 4
’Relocation’
Contractor and recreational wine grower Ole Madsen, What happened?
aged 60 In 2013, the village was practically in ruins. There
”
were many dilapidated small houses at the
From the first floor, I can see the neighbouring roadside. They were extremely hard to sell, and
house. But on the ground floor, I can walk around the municipality had begun to buy up the most
just as I please. Every morning, I take my coffee in the decayed ones for 1 krone. That left scattered sites
sunroom – enjoying the view. I frequently spot a deer along the road. Not exactly good advertising for
or a hare. To me, that’s quality of life. life in the village. Then some of the often health-
2 0 14I’m so pleased that I was allowed to build2 the
0 1 8house hazardous
2 0 2 0houses 20 2 1 to be2inhabited
began 022 2020
by
of my dreams here on the hill. When I inherited from socially disadvantaged families with dependent
my mother, I immediately knew how I’d spend the children. Now, a kind of bleakness and hopeles-
money. I’d move away from the roadside, where cars sness crept in. What could be done?
constantly rushing by gave me stress. It was no mean Gradually, the villagers became few and far
Forsam-
feat to clear things with the municipality – and I also between. Yet, therelingshuse
were a great
t many villagers
put in considerable amounts of elbow grease myself gen with initiative.
Lovgivnin Den første People like me who
lukkes recognisedByskiltet fjern
Trampe-
ændres
– but wow, I’m proud of the resulting 350 wonderful og der udflytnin g all, the villageKommun
the qualities of the village. After stierne is en ”
igangsæt
square metres. When I met Sussi and the kids, they tes et finder sted for
excellently located near the provincial
anlægge s op”.
town, and Opkøber
were sold on the idea of moving out of town. pilotproje
Of kt in an egne midler
extremely beautiful landscape. What was værste ejendo
course, it takes some time to drive the kids around. so frustrating was that people simple couldn’t– heriblandt e
But this is time well spent. I know nothing better than see this landscape – but just the road with cars erhvervsbygn
showing my house to family, friends and colleagues incessantly whizzing by at high speed. Also, the ligger ud til ve
from the town. Then I offer my visitors a glass of my absence of footpaths meant that one could
home-grown wine and a little of the goat’s cheese barely walk the dog or go for a walk with one’s
that I’m becoming quite adept at making. Of course, girlfriend – and no one were keen on the main
they always are a bit envious. Then they ask what it road.
Physically: Houses in the landscape
takes to get a house and life like mine.
The physical appearance will become
a bit helter-skelter, since it should be
2 0 14 2020 2021 2022 2020 2025
assumed that some small properties
will remain at the roadside. It will be
a landscape of criss-cross drives and
The village hall is The mortgage-ba
houses scattered around the area for
closed down tion properties, an
the purpose of exploiting the vistas
of the landscape. This is no longer a New legislation, a pilot The first relocation Foot-
village with a clearly defined structure. project is initiated takes place. Self-financed paths are Removal of the town sign. The municipality “c
laid out the worst roadside properties – comprising a
22The houses move out other houses were frustrated. They couldn’t afford to
It turned out that several villagers had approached move out. They interpreted the removal of the town Communication and Process:
and applied to the municipality with respect to building sign as an omen of gloom and decay. But, gradually, The municipality is in control
new houses away from the road and outside what was there was a change of mood, and the mortgage bank of the situation
the original boundaries of the village. was convinced that there would be a future market Several approaches and applications
A series of public meetings were held; and the municipa- here. made independently to the municipality
lity initiated a collective plan for the bear witness to substantial enterprise
development of the village. In 2018, after prolonged The good life in the country among the villagers. Some end up at
negotiations with the state, the village was selected as a In 2034, passers-by will never notice that they are Building others at Planning, but – as it
pilot project for exploitation of place-bound resources actually passing through a village. There is an aban- turns out that many of the applicants
and the relocation of planning permissions. Then things doned church plus a few houses at the roadside. And have the same ideas – the municipality
began to happen. By 2023 approximately one third of the you can make a stop and follow the footpath up to the gathers all treads and coordinates them
into collective planning
$
roadside houses had been demolished and new imagi- church or into the landscape and follow the stream. To
native large houses with views of the unique landscape passers-by it is obvious that they are driving through a
2025
had sprung up. Many of us purchased several of the small 2 0 30
landscape where the people who live there2really 0 3 4 care
plots in order to make room for moving the building site about the nature. About 20 houses are left – all very Allocation of the municipal expendi-
backwards. This way, more sites with longer drives – different in appearance. tures over a period of 20 years
either railed, bordered by stone fencing, or marked with The area does not require muchScenarieby way1of municipal
'Lade stå til' There are two almost
signboards – were established. Around this time, foot- service. I clear away the snow myself and cut the grass identical expenditures.
paths were laid out – to the benefit of both villagers and at the roadside in the summer. In return, I only wish The orange represents
nes. town ittenon
dwellers
Realkred begynde r at outings. The first movers
their Sunday to bevin
Oles aloneen
leftvinder and not to be governed by much toohus rives ned.
Sidste
the municipal service
”rydder were belåne udflytnin
people gsejen-
like me, with money in the bank or having strict rules
europæis k pris
and regulations. I like a little bit of elbow expenditure on driving
r de comedommen og transfor-
into aesubstantial inheritance; for the mortgage room; and I don’t have much contact with my neigh- hours to Shrinksby
omme banks weren’t
mationen keenfart
tager on lending on the new properties. bours – mostly with my family, my friends and my work Social og
Extra sundhed
driving Transportudgifter til kørsel
for
sociale.g. home care
en The road was now beginning take on a somewhat colleagues. Skolebus
hour costs
og sundhed
help and district
ning, derhelter-skelter appearance - as a row of teeth with gaps My mail is delivered by drones; and, on a daily basis I Kloak og renovation
Sewage & refuse recovery Skolebus
af offentlig vej nurses.
Vedligeholdelsemaintenance
Public-road The yellow
ejen and tooth rot. It was still necessary for the municipality chat with my grandchildren who live in Copenhagen.
Kloak og renovation
Opkøb og nedrivning
Acquisition and indicates
Vedligehold af vejexpenditures
to remove the most dilapidated properties. A few of the But when they come to visit, they love to take a stroll demolition on rehousing and
Opkøb og nedrivning
roadside houses remained, albeit with considerably larger and help Sussi with the quince jelly. Both Sussi and I still Additional
the
Andetpurchasing and
gardens because the owners had been able to buy up work in town, but after we got the electric cars, this no
§
demolition of property
”
the neighbouring plot. All the while, people in longer represents a problem to speak of.
Legislation: the family silver
2030 2034 Today, it would be almost impossible
to move the building permits up the
hills and away from the main thoroug-
anking sector begins to finance the reloca- hfare of the village. This will be seen as
nd the transformation gathers momentum a first step towards urban dispersion/
sprawl – and a clear boundary
Ole’s wine wins Euro- The last house is between town and country is one of
cleans up”. Acquisition of
pean award demolished the fundamental planning issues. We
non-residential building
are touching the family silver here.
23Current feasibilities, barriers and proposals
– for each of the four project themes
Introduction
This section comprises the final reporting of the
inputs with which the project participants and
introductory speakers have contributed to the
debates we had in the course of the project under
$ Economy
Current possibilities
It may be feasible to buy up properties that are ripe
for destruction. A number of municipalities operate
on the basis of a contingency arrangement enabling
the heading New Plans for Shrinksby. them to keep an eye on foreclosure auctions and
The section has been structured into four sub- make bids for such dwellings. This way, a munici-
sections each addressing the four themes of the pality will ensure that the dilapidated dwellings are
project – namely Economy, Legislation, a Physical demolished whilst, at the same time, preventing slum
Model, plus Communication and Process. The landlords from taking possession of such properties.
feasibilities and barriers currently available for the
purpose of shrinking villages have been described Resourceful villages will take care of the problems on
for each theme. Also, each section discusses one their own. Villages with economic and social capital
or more proposals for overcoming barriers. The may be in charge of the property buy-up, demoli-
proposals are varied – some are at a general level tion/renovation of properties, including the resale of
whereas others operate at a concrete level – and all such properties – similar to the model known from
are communicated loyally to the project’s partici- the village of Vestervig, located in Thisted Municipa-
pants. The proposals should be seen as a catalogue lity (see example 1 and proposal 1).
on which to continue work, politically and admini-
stratively at both national and municipal levels. In general, the municipalities value the existence of
At the same time, it should be stressed that the subsidy schemes targeted at demolition under
everyone involved in the project have considered the Redevelopment Act. Combined with the funds for
the project to be both complex and multifaceted
and that no swift or standardised solutions can be proposal 1
found. It is rather an issue requiring differentiated
solutions. In some locations there will be a need for Institutionalisation of the corporate model
demolition whereas in other places, other actions
and efforts will be required. Here, e.g. legislation What are the advantages of institutionalising the cor-
is, at times, perceived to be rich in potential and, at porate model à la Vestervig? Public-private partners-
other times, to be rigid and constricting. hips can frequently be efficient tools towards the rea-
lisation of urban development. It may also be a means
towards the purchasing and demolition of properties
and perhaps towards an actual shrinkage effort.
24to establish increased dialogue between municipalities
exampel 1
and mortgage banks, and this might lead to improved
credit facilities in the areas prioritised by the municipa-
About the Vestervig urban-redevelopment effort
exampel 2
The old Danish parish of Vestervig has a population
of about 700 people. In 2009, the main street in The Danish mortgage bank Nykredit’s message:
Vestervig was characterised by properties due for There are three types of dwellings in the rural and
demolition. Hence, the civic and trade-guild asso- remote districts
ciation (Borger- og Håndværkerforeningen) called a
meeting to address this problem. The small private Nykredit operates with three dwelling types in
limited company, Vestervig Byfornyelsesselskab Aps remote areas, namely development dwellings,
(Vestervig Redevelopment Company), was establis- maintenance dwellings and phasing-out dwellings,
hed with an initial capital of DKK 200,000 provided respectively. Which category a given dwelling
by the villagers – a few had kicked in as much as belongs in has much to do with the question
DKK 10,000; but, in general, the individual contri- whether there is a market for dwellings in this loca-
butions were less than that. The redevelopment lity. With respect to the two first-mentioned types of
company started out by purchasing properties in dwelling – development dwellings and maintenance
2009; and, with the help of many active Vestervig dwellings, this is often the case. Hence buyers and
villagers, a few properties were renovated and re- owners of these two types of property will be in a
sold, whereas other properties were bought for de- position to realise their dwelling dreams by means
molition purposes. To this date, 16 properties have of mortgage loans. With respect to the phasing-out
been demolished. In the course of 2011-12, 23 new dwellings, the market for such dwellings is typically
families have moved into the village. non-existent; and, hence, the property will be
difficult to sell again. This is why Nykredit considers
area renewal, it has now become possible to design a such properties as consumer goods, which will
cohesive and holistically oriented plan. be worn down; and after a period their value will
actually be used up. Just like the contents of a sack
There is a need for improved matching of expectati- of potatoes which will be consumed until the sack
ons betweeen municipality and mortgage bank. The is empty. This is something of which buyers purcha-
municipality planners know much about regulation sing a dwelling in remote areas should be aware.
and about how the municipality prioritises its inve- Yet, it will frequently be possible to be granted a
stments, but less about the workings of the housing mortgage loan – but probably not a non-interest
market. The mortgage banks know much about the one and only at 15-year terms. Thus the buyer’s
workings of the housing market, but less about how finances must be able to tolerate that, after 15 years,
the municipality prioritises its investments. It is feasible the value of the property will be nil.
25lities (see example 2)
proposal 3
Current barriers Everyone should participate in the demolition
Our scenarios are based on the state subsidising
half the demolitions with the municipalities paying The places of growth should contribute to the dem-
the other half. However, the municipalities have olition payment in places where there is no growth.
limited economy for the purchase of the aban- This could be done by earmarking e.g. a percentage
doned buildings. And the participating municipalities of the VAT on property sales to a national demoli-
all feel bad about saying “send more money”. tion pool.
But the fact that this is also a question of economy
is unavoidable. Regardless whether the muni- struggling and most burdened financially, should be
cipalities choose to provide full service for the required to co-finance the demolition (see proposals
sparsely populated areas, or whether they choose 2 and 3).
to demolish, then the reorganisation will always
mean added costs – for municipality and state, How can a supply infrastructure be shrunk?
alike. Historically, it should be considered whether The cable and piping infrastructures established over
it might be feasible to allocate funds within a scope many years by supply companies such as power,
that would be sufficient to match the costs available sewage, district-heating and water companies
for urban renewal in the large Danish cities during will be very difficult to adapt to a shrinking village.
the 90s. The problems are equally wide-ranging – if These infrastructures constitute extensive networks
not more so. It might also be deliberated whether established and funded by loans obtained by the
it is actually fair to demand municipal co-financing. supply companies in the expectation that they would
Thus, one of the participants in the project seminar, be providing supplies to a number of properties
Nykredit’s Poul Erik Jørgensen, has criticised the over a considerable number of years. In one of the
fact that the DKK 2x200m currently set aside for this participating villages, district heating is supplied by
effort under the Government’s Growth Plan requires a district heating company. When the municipality
municipal co-financing. He brings up the question buys a property for demolition, this entails a number
as to why those municipalities that are already of expenses. The withdrawal cost alone equals DKK
70,000; and notice of such withdrawal must be given
proposal 2 18 months in advance – the annual connection
charge is around DKK 8,000. What would be the
Scrappage scheme for houses consequences if a substantial number of properties
were demolished – would the connection charge for
A scrappage scheme for houses, similar to the the remaining properties then be increased?
scheme existing for cars, might be a solution. Such
a solution would enable people to move on from As mentioned, the municipalities value the state’s
their house before it begins to fall into decay. Think demolition funds. But frequently, problems may arise
for instance of the elderly villager who would like to when a municipality is forced to use the allocated
move, but needs a minor amount to pay a deposit. means within a time limit. Then the demolition work
It might also represent an incentive to the heirs to becomes more or less random. The short-term funds
demolish the estate of a deceased person rather
26 than try to sell it.§
makes it difficult to facilitate their move to another locality
proposal 4 – and to a better life in another place (see proposal 5).
More long-term time limits
Legislation
More long-term time limits for governmental de- Four different Danish acts were discussed in the course of
molition pools will facilitate strategic municipal ap- the project. They were: The Act on Urban Renewal, The
plication of the funds. Planning Act, The Social Services Act and the tax legisla-
tion. The most focus was on The Planning Act and The
constitute an obstacle to a long-term strategic Act on Urban Renewal – both legislations spring from a
demolition effort (see proposal 4). time of nationwide expansion. A key issue on the seminars
was the need for adjustments of both acts in order to
Larger commercial properties are expensive establish a better match between legislation and the new
to remove. Further, the tearing down of larger reality. Planning for nationwide growth should be less
commercial properties which are ripe for destruc- one-sided. Instead, we should plan towards a differentiated
tion will cost several hundred thousand Danish development with good living conditions for all citizens. In
kroner; and, hence, such demolition may deplete an some cases, unrealistic goals aimed at growth may hinder
entire municipal action pool. a sustainable development. One solution could be the
introduction of new measurement methods – for instance
The credit crunch ties owners to unsellable inspired by OECD’s Better Life Index. With its 11 criteria for
properties. Unsellable houses with unrealistical high growth and welfare measurement, this index is considered
mortgage loans tie the owners to their houses which more viable than the conventional growth measurements.
proposal 5
Current possibilities
Current legislation renders it possible to demolish isolated
Agreements between mortgage banks, municipali- properties. This may for instance be combined with
ties and tied-down home-owners area renewal as seen in e.g. Vestervig. To villages with a
‘healthy’ core, this will be a good strategy. As a point of
The three parties can enter into agreements where departure, demolition should take place through voluntary
the homeowner pays instalments on mortgage agreements, albeit, with respect to health hazards, the
loans. That owners repay part of their debts rather municipalities are entitled to commence demolition. This
than going into personal bankruptcy is a better means that they are entitled to require the demolition of
solution for owners, mortgage banks and the outright insanitary houses. The guidelines to the Act on
national economy. Urban Renewal – issued by the Ministry of Housing, Urban
An alternative would be to establish a national fund and Rural Affairs – contain much good advice on the appli-
to finance the rescheduling of the owners’ debts – cation of the act. The Danish Ministry of the Environment
maybe in cooperation with the mortgage banks. has introduced a relaxation of the rural-zone regulations
At the same time, help should be provided for the which means that it is now feasible to take special local
homeowners to facilitate a better life in another considerations in areas with limited pressure on the area
place – e.g. via a pool with the funds to pay for the resources together with declining employment and/or
actual relocation plus the deposit on a flat. a drop in the number of households. But this relaxation
is mainly targeted at the building of new dwellings or an 2
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