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Hot Zones

Timeframe: short term

Degree of participation: non

Type of participants: Local Authorities

Specific target of the method: To create and identify potential population growth in small cities

 

 

WHAT IS IT?

Varme Zoner is a Danish methodology used for rural development that explores the possibility of creating a more nuanced picture of the state of villages in rural and remote areas of Denmark. Therefore, it uses a statistic analysis to identify Danish villages with a positive population growth of special groups. After that a qualitative analysis was made on the basis of the four strands of the warm zones’ DNA: X-factor quality, creative urge in the community, meeting points in the community and cohesion.

 

HOW TO?

The quantitative part of the project is based on register data provided by Statistics Denmark. Data are collected for all persons residing in Denmark between 1980 and 2018.

The qualitative part of the project is based on our assumption of the four strands of the warm zones’ DNA. These are the X-factor, the creative urge, the cohesion and the meeting places.

22 semi-structured interviews are organized. The focus is on questions related to each of the four strands of the warm zones’ DNA.

In the subsequent review of just over 35 hours of interviews, the perception of all relevant statements is categorized and weighted. The aim was to find the four most important categories of statements under each strand of the hot zones DNA with relevance for the non-average person types.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations that anyone who wants to create good conditions for growth in a village can take inspiration from. In this context, it is important to remember that creating a warm zone takes time.

  • Recognizability : Bring people who have ‘seen the light’ together. Life in a village is more meaningful if more people confirm to each other that the choice to live there is special.
  • Freedom : Celebrate the right to priorities differently. In many situations, less is – truly – more. Ask not ‘what are you doing’, but ‘who are you’, ‘where are you from’ and ‘why are you here’.
  • Community : Talk together and build bridges. A growing community requires being good at letting new people in – even if they don’t look like the ones already there.
  • Innovation : Accept that people also need to make a living. Volunteering can make new things happen, but it’s also ok to have an ambition to make business out of it. One does not necessarily exclude the other. The combination can sometimes make great things happen.
  • Openness : Invite people in. There are lots of ways to do this, so there’s not really a good reason not to take advantage of one or more of the opportunities available – and of course you can be together without sitting on your thighs.
  • Helpfulness : Receive and give back help. When you know each other, you know each other’s needs, and it’s easier to make yourself available. The opportunity to take (more) responsibility for each other’s needs is a commitment.

 

LEARN MORE

Varme Zoner