Mittelstädte als Stabilisatoren ländlich-peripherer Räume

Socio-economic trends with high spatial relevance form the basis for the future questions of regions and municipalities. At the same time, a sustained urbanisation process and increasingly differentiated and partially strongly divergent development dynamics increase regional imbalances. This development brings up questions about assurance of the leading idea of equivalent living situations.

Mid-sized towns are considered anchors in space, in particular for structurally weak and peripheral regions. At the same time, mid-sized towns in rurally-peripheral regions show an increasing discrepancy concerning their function assignment and the challenges posed to them. On the one hand, they are assigned a stabilising function for their surrounding area and a supporting function for rural development dynamics in addition to their role as regional supply, labour market and economic centres from the point of view of territorial policy. On the other hand, they are increasingly affected by infrastructural pressure to adapt to socio-economic change processes that must be mastered.

The article first deals with examination of the regional stabilisation function of mid-sized towns for rurally-peripheral areas, including analysis of the options and limitations of their preservation under the influence of socio-economic transformation processes and the connected adaptation needs. Based on this, it secondly comprises an analysis to identify factors for success that ensure the stabilisation function of mid-sized towns in rurally-peripheral areas.

Table of contents

I. Introduction
II    Regional development and its stabilisation mechanisms in rurally peripheral areas – design scope of the examination
1.    Requirements of regional structural change to concepts of stabilisation of spaces
2.    The space-related anchor function in regional organisation and regional development
3.    Regional stabilisation as a research object of regional planning and regional organisation - discussion of design approaches
4.    Push- and pull-factors for stabilising rurally-peripheral regions
5.    An intermediate result

III.    Mid-sized towns and their functions in rurally-peripheral areas
1.    Space-typing of rurally peripheral regions
2.    The mid-sized town type in the Federal Republic of Germany – type definition
3.    Spatial and structural classification – mid-sized towns in rurally-peripheral areas
4.    Socio-economic framework conditions and trends for mid-sized towns in rurally-peripheral areas and their relevance for securing their anchor and stabilisation functions
5.    Structural situation of mid-sized towns in cross-regional context of rurally-peripheral areas
6.    Development patterns of socio-economic transformation processes in mid-sized towns of rurally-peripheral regions and their regional environment
7.    Analysis of anchor and stabilisation functions of mid-sized towns in the supra-regional context of rurally-peripheral regions
8.    An intermediate result

IV.    Mid-sized towns as stabilisers of rurally-peripheral areas – examination on selected reference regions
1.    Cluster analysis of the entirety of mid-sized towns of rurally peripheral areas
2.    Selection of the regions under examination
3.    Short profile and structural framework conditions of the spaces under examination
3.1.    Short profile of the mid-sized town of Ansbach in the cross-local context of the district region
3.2.    Short profile of the mid-sized town of Freudenstadt in the cross-local context of the district region Freudenstadt
3.3.    Short profile of the mid-sized town of Fulda in the cross-local context of the district region Fulda
3.4.    Short profile of the mid-sized town of Lingen (Ems) in the cross-local context of the district region Emsland
3.5.    Short profile of the mid-sized town of Plauen in the cross-local context of the district region Vogtlandkreis
4.    Stabilisation of rurally-peripheral areas by mid-sized towns – analysis of the stabilisation function and the anchoring projects in selected mid-sized towns
4.1.    Method of Empirical evaluation and evaluation design of the analysis of examination spaces
4.2.    Evaluation of the anchor function of the reference mid-sized towns
4.3.    Evaluation of an impulse provider function of the reference mid-sized towns
4.4.    Evaluation of the development patterns of mid-sized towns of rurally-peripheral areas and resulting needs for action
4.5.    The anchor and stabilisation function of the examined mid-sized towns by comparison
4.6.    Needs for action, anchor projects and approaches for action towards stabilisation in light of the essential structural areas on town and regional levels
4.7.    Action requirements in light of the regional-planning instruments
4.8.    Needs for action, anchor projects and approaches for action from the area of selected subject policies
5.    An intermediate result

V.    Strategies and approaches for action to secure the stabilisation function of mid-sized towns in the rurally-peripheral areas
1.    Determinants for an anchoring and stabilisation function of (mid-sized) towns
2.    Derivation of approaches for action in handling socio-economical processes of structural change
2.1.    Fields of action and measures in selected structural areas
2.2.    Fields of action and measures concerning the regional-planning instruments
2.3.    Fields of action and measures from the area of selected subject policies
3.    Evaluation of the current and perspective stabilisation function of mid-sized towns in rurally-peripheral areas and their future capacities – a summary
4.    Further research needs

Bibliography
Annex