Pilots

• ---

  Jesenice (Upper Carniola)​, Slovenia

  
  

  Jesenice is a Slovenian municipality with about 22.000 inhabitants and a surface area of 76 km²​ located in the northern Gorenjska region bordering Austria​, and precisely situated in the Sava valley. This valley serves as a connection between Central and Southeastern Europe as it is located along a major transport corridor​. Jesenice was historically an industrial town highly dependent on the steel industry. Tourism is not a key industry in Jesenice as there are predominantly day tourists, however there is potential due to the municipality's proximity to the Triglav national park, and the touristic hotspot Bled, the surrounding mountains as well as cultural and sport events that take place.

  
  

  ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND TERRITORIAL CHARACTERISTICS

  
  
  

  
  
  • Besides heavy industry the economy has diversified to services, trade, construction, and small manufacturing enterprises. ​
  • Working-class community, formed through internal migration from other parts of former Yugoslavia, attracted by industrial employment.
  • Great logistic relevance due to its location in the Sava river valley functioning as a connection between Central and Southeastern Europe​
  • The Karavanke Mountains form a natural barrier to the north, while the Mežakla Plateau rises to the south

  MAJOR FUNCTIONS/SERVICES
  

  
  
  • Healthcare is provided through the general hospital offering specialized care, pharmacies as well as elderly care
  • Childcare and education including kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools is available
  • Access to Culture centers and a public library ​
  • Offers for indoor and outdoor sports activities​
  • Infrastructure in the form of public transport and well-developed road connections to Ljubljana and Austria ​
  • Jesenice serves as a regional center in the Upper Gorenjska region

  CHALLENGES OF QUALITY OF LIFE​
  

  
  
  • Job losses through the decline of heavy industry and limited job opportunities for younger residents​
  • Integration of diverse ethnic groups due to the town's history of migration for industrial employment​
  • Majority of the housing stock requires modernization to meet modern energy efficiency and comfort standards​
  • Through the history of heavy metal industry, the municipality still struggles with industrial pollution requiring continuous investment in environmental improvements​
  • The linear urban form along the Sava valley limits spatial expansion to the sides and contributes to traffic congestion which affects the residents' quality of life

  
  

  
  

  
  

• ---

  Črna na Koroškem (Carinthia), Slovenia

  Črna na Koroškem is a small and rural municipality with about 3.000 inhabitants and a surface area of 156 km²​, located in the west of the Koroška region, bordering Austria​. It is situated in the narrow Upper Meža Valley under the Peca range which gives it an Alpine character​, in a remote area where the population density is at 20 inhabitants/km² which is significantly lower than average (105 inhabitants/km²) and among the least densely populated municipalities in Slovenia. . Institutions such as secondary schools or specialized healthcare is not available, and residents are required to go to Ravne na Koroškem, Slovenj Gradec or Celje​. Concerning the mobility infrastructure the closest motorway exit is nearly 50 km away; there is no railway and bus connections are scarce.
  
  ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND TERRITORIAL CHARACTERISTICS
  

  
  
  • Historically the region was mostly dependent on mining which shaped the spatial development of settlements as well as the landscape​
  • Surrounding landscape and mountains attract visitors in summer and wintertime, so tourism is increasing​
  • The remote location leads to limited access to certain services or employment opportunities, which leads to an outwards migration and ageing of the population​
  • The municipality has a comparatively large surface area of 156 km² in mountainous terrain, which is predominantly covered by forest

  MAJOR FUNCTIONS/SERVICES
  

  
  
  • Basic healthcare is provided by a medical center and a pharmacy, whereas specialized care can be found in Ravne na Koroškem or Slovenj Gradec​
  • At the moment, elderly care is still under construction​
  • For education and childcare there are kindergartens as well a a primary school in Črna​
  • Access to secondary school only is available in nearby towns​
  • Recreational infrastructure is provided mostly outdoors (e.g., zip-lining, cycling, and hiking)​
  • The infrastructure needs improvement as public transport is poor, and some remote hamlets lack internet connection

  CHALLENGES OF QUALITY OF LIFE
  

  
  
  • Limited employment opportunities require younger residents to move to urban areas​
  • Population ageing (average age is 47 years, compared to the national average age of 44 years)​
  • As the older population increases, demanding for healthcare and social support is growing​
  • Both population ageing and outward migration reduce the local labour force, limit the community’s vitality and can lead to isolation amongst residents
  • Accessibility and connectivity issues are being faced, both in terms of transport and digital infrastructure being demanding in sparsely populated mountain terrain​
  • The availability of services is limited, some of the existing services operate only limited hours (e.g., library)

• ---

  Nationalpark region Kalkalpen​ (Upper Austria), Austria

  The National Park Region lovated in Upper Austria, unites 22 municipalities, covering 1,618 km²—the largest LEADER region in the state. ​
  Over 44,000 residents live across the Ennstal, Steyrtal, and Pyhrn-Priel areas. At its heart lies the Kalkalpen National Park, spanning 20,850 hectares of protected nature.
  Mission statement:​ “The quality of life of the people in our region is at the heart of our work!”
  
   
  

  ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND TERRITORIAL CHARACTERISTICS
  The region is characterized by small-scale agriculture, forestry, and a growing tourism sector focused on nature, outdoor recreation, and sustainable development. ​
  While traditional industries such as wood processing and craftsmanship remain important, many residents commute to larger nearby towns like Steyr and Kirchdorf an der Krems for employment.

  
  CHALLENGES OF QUALITY OF LIFE
  Demographic change and out-migration of younger people present ongoing challenges, but the area benefits from strong local identity, active community initiatives, and increasing investment in eco-tourism, renewable energy, and regional value chains.​
  The overall quality of life is high, supported by intact natural landscapes and a commitment to sustainable rural development.

• ---

  Nenzing (Vorarlberg), Austria

  Nenzing is a market town in the district of Bludenz, in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. ​
  Located at 533 m above sea level, it covers an area of 110.31 km², making it the fourth-largest municipality in Vorarlberg. ​
  About 49.3% of its area is forested and 21.1% is alpine. The highest peak is Panüler at 2,859 m. As of January 2025 the population is 6,528.
  
   
  

  ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND TERRITORIAL CHARACTERISTICS
  Nenzing is characterized by a balanced mix of industry, services, and agriculture. ​
  Many residents work in nearby industrial centers such as Bludenz and Feldkirch, while local small and medium-sized enterprises support employment within the municipality.​
  The economy benefits from its location along major transport routes and proximity to the Rhine Valley.

  
  

  MAIN FUNCTIONS/SERVICES
  Nenzing’s spatial development concept (REK) promotes balanced growth between housing, employment, and nature to maintain a high quality of life.​
  The municipality has a good cooperation within the Regio Walgau.​
  Liebherr and other companies provide jobs and business tax revenue – they seek a high quality of life for their employees.
  The municipality’s “Wohnraum mobilisieren” initiative activates vacant housing and supports affordable living for local residents.​
  Through regional cooperation such as “Sozialraum ist Lebensraum,” Nenzing focuses on inclusive community development and strong social infrastructure.

  
  

  CHALLENGES OF QUALITY OF LIFE
  While living standards are high, with well-developed infrastructure and modern educational facilities, Nenzing has no overarching strategy and no monitoring. The new mayor puts his focus on maintaining social meeting points, youth involvement and volunteer work.
  Tourism, forestry, and alpine agriculture contribute to the local economy, complemented by a stable housing market and active cultural life.​

  
   

• ---

  Grassau (Bavaria), Germany

  Grassau is a market town in the district of Traunstein, in the German state of Bavaria.​ Located at 538 m above sea level, it covers an area of 35.66 km², lying in the foothills of the Chiemgau Alps near Lake Chiemsee. ​About 45% of its area is used for agriculture and 35% is forested. The highest point in the municipality is the Hochplatte at 1,587 m. As of January 2025, the population is 6.910.
  
  ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND TERRITORIAL CHARACTERISTICS
  
  Grassau has a well-balanced and stable local economy. It acts as a small center for the Achental, with shops and medical services.​
  
  The town benefits from its proximity to Lake Chiemsee and the Chiemgau Alps, making tourism a key economic sector alongside small-scale manufacturing, crafts, and services. Agriculture and forestry also play an important role in maintaining the region’s rural character.
  
  MAJOR FUNCTIONS/SERVICES
  
  The LEADER strategy for the Chiemgauer Seenplatte region, including Grassau, aims to enhance quality of life by strengthening community cohesion, sustainable mobility, and access to local services. ​It promotes vibrant village centers, cultural identity, and climate-friendly living environments.
  
  Beside the LEADER-region, Grassau ist cooperating with the municipalities of the Ökomodell Achental, in fields of sustainable development, renewable energy, mountain farming and nature protection.​
  
  Grassau focuses on balancing economic activity with environmental protection to maintain a high standard of living in a close-knit, nature-oriented community. The municipality does not have one strategy document, but concepts for various fields, such as a retail concept or a new land use plan.
  
  CHALLENGES OF QUALITY OF LIFE
  
  Many residents commute to nearby urban centers such as Traunstein and Rosenheim for work, supported by good regional transport connections. ​
  Grassau enjoys a high standard of social life, with strong community structures,  active clubs, a cultural center, sports infrastructure, a youth center, year-round events, etc.

• ---

  Ala (Trentino), Italy

  Ala is a municipality, granted city status by imperial decree in 1765, located in the valley of the Adige River in the southern part of the Autonomous Province of Trento. ​Historically and geographically a borderland between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy, as well as between the pre-Alpine region and the Po Valley.​ The territory includes vast green areas by extensive forests, pastures, and alpine farms, mostly under public ownership.
  
  ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND TERRITORIAL CHARACTERISTICS
  
  The city has a diversified economic base:​
  

  
  
  • Agriculture, particularly viticulture, remains central, with one of the largest vineyard areas in Trentino. ​
  • Forestry and alpine pastures further contribute to its rural landscape​

  A network of small and medium-sized enterprises in food processing, manufacturing, and logistics demonstrates the municipality’s ability to integrate into regional and even global markets.
  
  The population has remained stable in recent years, and local social life is dynamic:​
  

  
  
  • Low unemployment and a strong employment rate​
  • More than 50 active associations for supporting social life. ​

  Challenges remain: ageing population, adequate and affordable housing, and the decline of commercial and accommodation facilities. ​
  
  Civic participation also faces constraints, with young people less involved in community life, while the growing demand for elderly care requires renewed welfare solutions.
  
  Ala acts as a junction between different cultural and economic areas:​
  

  
  
  • A borderland between Austria and Italy; the Alps and the Po Alley​
  • Located in the Adige Valley along the Brenner corridor​

  This strategic position ensures connectivity and access to broader markets while exposing the municipality to competitive pressures from stronger neighbouring urban centres.
  
  MAJOR FUNCTIONS/SERVICES
  

  
  
  • Education and culture: ​nursery school, public library, Provincial Museum of Textile Arts and Textiles​
  • Sports and leisure: ​swimming pool, gyms, and a tennis center.
  • Mobility and health: ​railway station, hospital unit, and day center for the elderly.​
  • Public administration: ​well-structured system of municipal services.​

  CHALLENGES OF QUALITY OF LIFE​
  

  
  
  • Tourism and culture: difficulty in positioning the municipality in relation to nearby attractions (Rovereto, Monte Baldo, Lake Garda).​
  • Urban vitality: commercial desertification of the historic centre.​
  • Housing: limited supply of adequate and affordable housing.​
  • Heritage: preservation of architectural, historical, and traditional assets in both the town centre and rural/mountain areas (malghe).​
  • Demographics: growing need for services for non-self-sufficient elderly people.​
  • Youth: Difficulties in the engagement of younger generations in civic and cultural life.​
  • Economic transition: balancing rural traditions with industry, crafts, and services.​
  • Social spaces: need for renewed places of daily interaction for young and elderly citizens.​
  • Participation: necessity to foster innovative and participatory models of civic involvement, including the renewal of third-sector organisations.

  Photo credits: Luca Pinnavaia

• ---

  Lanzo Torinese (Piedmont), Italy

  Lanzo Torinese constitutes the gateway of the three homonymous Alpine Valleys, that are located at the heart of the Graian Alps. Located in Piedmont, on the border between Italy and France, this area is home to the highest mountains in the region and historically the birthplace of Italian mountaineering.
  
  ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND TERRITORIAL CHARACTERISTICS
  
  Lanzo Torinese is a rural municipality with a population of slightly over 5,000 inhabitants. ​
  Despite its rural characteristics, it constitutes the main centre of the area, and the gateway of a comb-shaped system of dead-end Alpine valleys.
  
  Agriculture​
  

  
  
  • The fastest growing sector of Lanzo’s economy. ​
  • Many young entrepreneurs under the age of 39 are involved in this sector, and there is a lot of food production by local craftsmen. ​

  Local craftsmen​
  

  
  
  • The number of craftsmen once at the heart of the local economy and business development, is decreasing.

  The population is decreasing in Lanzo Torinese since the late 1990s, similar to most of the valleys’ municipalities.
  
  Lanzo Torinese is located in the Metropolitan Area of Torino, 34 km away from Torino and 11 km from Cirie Municipality.​
  The area comprises the three valleys, and the end of each valley is reachable only by one way; therefore move around the valley, it is necessary to go forward and backward to Lanzo Torinese.
  
  MAJOR FUNCTIONS/SERVICES
  

  
  
  • Education and culture: ​nursery school, public library
  • Sports and leisure: ​swimming pool, gyms, and a tennis center.
  • Mobility and health: ​railway station, hospital, and day center for the elderly.​
  • Commercial activities: ​grocery, local farmers’ market, specialised shops, pharmacy
  • Public administration: ​well-structured system of municipal services.​

  CHALLENGES OF QUALITY OF LIFE​
  

  
  
  • Decreasing population and lack of community engagement
  • Economic and commercial difficulties for local shops and farmers
  • Ageing population and social fragmentation isolates elder people from the city life

  Photo credits: this file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

• ---

  Veynes (Hautes-Alpes), France

  
  

  Municipality of Veynes

  
  

  Introduction

  
  

  Veynes is a French municipality with around 3,300 inhabitants and a surface area of approximately 43 km², located in the Hautes-Alpes department in the South region. Situated in the Petit Buëch valley, at the transition between the Southern Alps and the Provençal lowlands, Veynes was historically shaped by railway and administrative functions, which played a central role in its economic and demographic development.

  
  

  ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND TERRITORIAL CHARACTERISTICS

  
  

  Veynes has a small-scale, diversified local economy, typical of medium-sized rural service towns in the Southern Alps. Historically Veynes was positioned as an important logistical and administrative center. While the importance of the railway sector has declined, it remains a symbolic and functional asset.

  
  
  

  
  
  • The local economy is primarily based on public and private services (administration, education, healthcare, retail), small businesses and crafts,(including construction, maintenance, and local trade), agriculture, mainly livestock farming and small-scale agricultural activities in the surrounding areas
  • A moderate population size with a stable but slightly aging demographic profile with a mix of long-term residents and newer inhabitants seeking a rural quality of life
  • Strong local identity and community cohesion, supported by cultural, sporting, and associative life
  • The territory is marked by a balance between human activity and environmental constraints, requiring careful land-use planning, risk management (flooding, landslides), and environmental protection. The surrounding natural environment represents both a constraint and an opportunity, particularly for sustainable development and nature-based tourism.

  MAJOR FUNCTIONS/SERVICES
  

  
  
  • Veynes hosts municipal and cantonal administrative functions and provides public services for the surrounding rural communes
  • The town plays an important role as a railway junction and road connection point, ensuring regional accessibility and daily mobility.
  • It concentrates shops, small businesses, crafts, and local markets that meet everyday needs for residents and nearby villages.
  • Veynes offers primary and secondary education, basic healthcare, and social support services, contributing to territorial cohesion.
  • The municipality hosts sports facilities, cultural venues, and local events that strengthen social life and quality of living in the area.

  CHALLENGES OF QUALITY OF LIFE​
  

  
  
  • Need to work on attachment attitudes (e.g. attachment to being able to park in the city center when there are parking spaces a 5-minute walk away)
  • There is a lack of training in collective intelligence tools. This should be the responsibility of schools.
  • What is most lacking in small communities is engineering especially regarding risk management (storms, torrential rain, fires).
  • The challenge of maintaining the community fabric, with significant financial restrictions.
  • The challenge of developing more cultural and social activities as f.ex. there are no longer any educators or youth workers in neighbourhoods in particular.
  • Maintaining social life and democracy.

• ---

  Parc nature régional des Baronnies provençales (Drôme / Hautes-Alpes)

  
  

  Regional nature park Baronnies Provencales

  
  

  Introduction

  
  

  The Regional Natural Park Baronnies provençales is a protected rural territory in southeastern France, covering approximately 1,560 km² and encompassing around 130 municipalities with a population of about 36,000 inhabitants. It is located between the Drôme and Hautes-Alpes départements, at the transition between the Northern Alps and Provence, and is characterized by a mountainous, mid-altitude landscape structured by valleys and ridge-lines. The area is relatively remote and not situated along major transport corridors, contributing to its low population density and strong rural character. Historically, the territory has been shaped by agriculture, particularly livestock farming, olive cultivation, and aromatic plants, as well as small-scale rural activities.

  
  

  ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND TERRITORIAL CHARACTERISTICS

  
  
  

  
  
  • The territory is characterized by small-scale economic activities, mainly agriculture (livestock, olives, aromatic and medicinal plants), crafts, and local services, with limited industrial presence.
  • Tourism is largely oriented toward outdoor activities and natural heritage, generating complementary income but remaining seasonal and insufficient to structure the economy on its own.
  • The population is relatively small, aging, and unevenly distributed across numerous villages, creating challenges in maintaining services, employment, and social cohesion.
  • The territory combines Alpine and Mediterranean landscapes with high biodiversity, protected areas, and a dark-sky reserve, shaping land use and development constraints.
  • The area is not located along major transport corridors and is organized around valleys and small settlements, reinforcing its rural character while limiting accessibility and economic integration.

  MAJOR FUNCTIONS/SERVICES
  
  The Park's mission is to take up the challenge of "Living well together in the Baronnies Provençales" which means concretely :
  

  
  
  • to protect this heritage, in particular through appropriate management of natural environments and landscapes,
  • to contribute to regional planning,
  • to contribute to economic, social and cultural development and quality of life,
  • to welcome, educate and inform the public,
  • to carry out experimental or exemplary actions in the above-mentioned areas and to contribute to research programmes.

  CHALLENGES OF QUALITY OF LIFE​
  

  
  
  • Resilience of the territory and its population by adapting to climatic, societal and economic changes...
  • Designing a coherent, cohesive and sustainable development plan for the Baronnies Provençales region (urban planning, energy territory, cultural offer, .…)
  • Relocalising the economy based on local identity and the promotion of local resources (agriculture, sustainable tourism & nature activities, anticipate and innovate by valorising new local resources, ...)