German Small Town Academy – Pilot Phase. Empowerment of Small Towns through collaboration, consulting and networking.

Abstract

The majority of cities and towns in Europe are small towns. There are more than 2,100 small towns in Germany, representing more than 46 percent of all cities and towns. These are home to more than 24 million people. One in three companies that are ‘hidden champions’ and market leaders in innovation products or services comes from a small town. As anchor points of public welfare and services and play a fundamental role in the polycentric urban system. They contribute significantly to the German Federal Government’s goal of achieving equal living conditions in all parts of Germany. But at the same time, small towns face demographic, economic and social challenges and often need support in their development. Therefore the idea of the pilot phase of the “Small Town Academy” was created. It focuses on a changed strategic approach: true to the principle “urban development by, with and for small towns”, because it is mainly the local people who make their small towns what they are, often with substantial self-motivation. Thus self-selected topics by model projects, nationwide cooperation and innovative methods are a basic approaches. The publication gives an inside into the situation of small towns in Germany and the idea of the pilot phase of the “Small Town Academy”, including its aims and approaches.