Excursion to Osnabrück County

The county of Osnabrück is far ahead in dealing with the challenges of the demographic change. The Kommunalverbund and the Senator for building Bremen were invited to attend an excursion to Osnabrück organized by the county of Osterholz.

Already in 2002 the Osnabrück county started to deal with the demographic change systematically. Long-term and mid-term goals have been defined and a strategy group installed. The public administration got the task to create a family-friendly environment. The county follows a “two-path-strategy”: adaptation to the demographic change but also efforts to counter the development. The issues of the demographic change are integrated in everyday work of public administration. Overall goals are defined, including ones regarding the demographic change. Special topics are families, aging staff and future housing. For several years the county has been providing population prognoses. A very important part is the continuous controlling of the initiated measures to prove the effects.

The county is actively searching the direct contact to the municipalities and provides its knowledge as well as financial support and best practices. It is regarded as important to get mayors involved and to keep the topic in public view.

In addition some local projects were presented to the group. In the municipality of Melle for instance a survey has been conducted about peoples’ future living situation. The intention was to make them think about later stages of life and particularly about their own home. When renovating their home or their environment they should consider that they might be less mobile within several years. The same approach is planned for Bad Essen as well.

Further information (in German) can be found at:

http://www.wigos.de/staticsite/staticsite.php?menuid=198&topmenu=16

http://www.landkreis-osnabrueck.de/magazin/artikel.php?artikel=13526&type=&menuid=5&topmenu=949

http://www.landkreis-osnabrueck.de/pics/medien/1_1221811658/Zwei_Wege_Strategie.pdf

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