Village cluster

Goal: To create network and cohesion

Timeframe: Long term (over a year)

Type of participants:- Local associations and NGO’s, Citizens, Local / National Authorities (municipalities, ministries, local councils), Companies, Cultural actors

Degree of participation: Co-creation

Specific target of the method: Creating a village cluster creates network and cohesion between neighbor villages.

WHAT IS IT?

Village clusters are a model for how municipalities and citizens can jointly develop local areas and enhance the quality of life in rural areas
In a village cluster, several villages come together to form a new community where citizens gather around everything from institutions and associations to halls and recreational offerings. In a village cluster, perhaps not all villages can keep their own hall – instead, the villages can collectively assemble a sport or culture team.

Definition: “A Village Cluster can be defined as a number of villages in relative proximity to each other, collaborating in a network structure, utilizing each other’s strengths, as well as the skills, knowledge, and experience of the residents, to develop the individual village beyond its own potentials, and the entire cluster.” Lea Holst Laursen & Jørgen Møller. “The concept of cluster villages as planning tool in the rural districts of Denmark (2014)

To have a sustainable long term village cluster, the cluster needs to work together one more than one project and the projects cannot only be part of the municipality structure. (Landsbyklynger som mulig udviklingsstrategi – Muligheder og Barrierer En forundersøgelse for DGI og Realdania, 2015, s.8)

The concept of village clusters was developed in the period 2015-2022 as part of a project between Aalborg university, Real Danica and DGI.

(Think box: The idea of village-clusters can also be used on a neighborhood scale in bigger cities.)

HOW TO?

The development of a village cluster typical takes between 1,5 years but it should be seen as an ongoing process with no end. The process of the establishment can be done in five phases:

Phase 1 – Starting the process (Approximately 3 months)

Creating a steering committee of local citizens from the village and the municipality.

It is important to communicate broadly in the local area to ensure successful citizen involvement.

Phase 2 – Mapping the potentials in the villages (Approximately 6 months)

The mapping should focus on the cluster’s potentials with a special emphasis on gathering knowledge to strengthen the cluster’s common identity, potentials for collaboration, and development. Its important to still have focus on communication of the process.

Phase 3 – Creating a common vision (Approximately 2 months)

Vision is created based on the knowledge acquired from the mapping and the report. In this phase, the steering committee chose which focus areas to prioritize moving forward and lays the strategic foundation.

Phase 4 – Creating an action plan (Approximately 5 months)
Phase 5 – Strategic Plan, anchoring and implementation (Approximately 2 moths)

The five phases are based on the Danish rapports “Evaluering af pilotprojekt landsbyklynge 2017) and “Landsbyklynger. Guide til kommunerne. 2019: Landsbyklynger – Guide til kommunerne (realdania.dk))

RECOMMENDATIONS

1: Strengthen Attachment and Shared Identity

Organize joint events. Shared meals or group walks strengthen unity, mutual understanding, what you share, and have in common.
Come up with a good name for the village cluster. A name that all villages can identify with helps strengthen the cluster’s profile both externally and internally.
Create a common logo for the village cluster. A shared logo fosters unity and makes it easier to communicate the community the cluster represents.”

2: Establish Strong Organization

The collaboration between the villages and niehberhood requires a common organization

Allocate time and energy to assemble a steering group with representatives from all the villages.
Include different competencies: perseverance, the ability to see things from multiple perspectives, openness, familiarity with collaborating with the municipality, political acumen, communication skills, and infectious enthusiasm are some of the competencies that are beneficial to have.
Conduct an internal alignment of expectations and discuss who is best suited for which tasks.
Be aware that the chemistry between the participants in the steering group matters. They participate in their spare time and provide voluntary work. It should also be enjoyable and pleasant to be involved.

3: Do not underestimate the communication task.

Identify selected citizens who have skills in the field of communication. Establish a communication group that works on the cluster’s communication.
Engage with local media and share information about the cluster collaboration. The good stories help shape a common profile of the cluster as one community.
Create a Facebook page and use the platform to showcase activities and news.
Create a common website that communicates information for the entire area. Think of communication broadly.
Communication can also involve having a shared logo that visually represents the cluster’s profile or coming up with a good name for the cluster.

4 – Get as many volunteers engaged in the village cluster as possible.

Be curious about what citizens are passionate about. New volunteers are primarily motivated because they have an interest in a cause.
Recruit new volunteers to join. Inquire about their interests and what they are passionate about, and let them work on what they want to.
Organize volunteering. For example, create project groups based on common topics and let the groups meet in project cafes.
Recognize that social camaraderie also matters. Support volunteering, for example, with communal meals and/or by celebrating local successes.
Remember that volunteers use their free time for this. Create a culture where it’s also enjoyable and rewarding to participate.

5: Establish a good collaboration with the municipality and Citizens.

For Citizens:

Ensure that the municipality is involved from the beginning.
Invite a municipal representative to join the collaboration and participate in meetings.
Acknowledge that the municipal representative contributes knowledge and inspiration and communicates knowledge about the village cluster to the municipality.
Emphasize that the municipal representative has insight into rural areas, the municipality’s procedures, and policies to support the village cluster’s process.

For the municipality:

The municipality’s role in the cluster collaboration is to coordinate and provide guidance, but not to drive the process. It is important to understand and acknowledge that a village cluster must grow from the grassroots. It is the citizens who best understand the local conditions, and it is the citizens who identify focus areas, set the direction for the cluster’s future, and lead the realization of the goals.
Internally clarify how you will support new village clusters – for example, by allocating funds for an external advisor – and inform the citizens about it.

6: Strengthen the cluster’s common meeting places.

Gathering places make it natural to come together across villages, ages, and interests. These places become the setting for chance encounters and planned events.

Make a geographical mapping of the meeting places located in the cluster.
Discuss the activities, function, and significance of these meeting places for the community. Strengthen what already exists.
Discuss how you can enhance quality through sharing.
Open up the meeting places to increase visibility; for example, consider hosting open houses, offering free trial sessions, etc.”

The recommendations are based on evaluation of 24 Danish village clusters with more than 20.000 citizens. (DGI hjælper med at udvikle aktive lokalsamfund)

Result of village-clusters:

87% experience that the village-clusters have enhanced their ability to see the development of the local area in a more long-term-view.

94% would recommend village clusters to other local communities. 8

7% believe that working with village clusters has strengthened the local community’s ability to collaborate.

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