The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning

Region gestalten

Shaping the Region

zur Webseite des Programms "Region gestalten"

The living and working conditions in Germany are undergoing rapid changes, posing significant challenges, particularly for structurally weak rural areas. In its decision on July 10, 2019, the Federal Government reaffirmed its goal of promoting the establishment of equitable living conditions in all regions of Germany through its policies, as outlined in the results of the “Equal Living Conditions” Commission (“Our Plan for Germany”). Through diverse approaches in structural and regional development policies, the Federal Government aims to address existing disparities and shape a sustainable and future-oriented Germany that strengthens social cohesion and places the individual at the center.

The “Referat Raumordnung und Strukturpolitik des Bundesministeriums für Wohnen, Stadtentwicklung und Bauwesen (BMWSB)” allocated resources for projects in the fields of spatial planning, spatial development, and structural policy, with a specific focus on rural areas. Innovative concepts for the development of rural areas were funded and implemented or researched through model projects and individual initiatives. The experiences and results from each project were made available to a wide professional audience and utilised for the further development of structural policies. The measures were guided by the “Visions and Action Strategies for Spatial Development in Germany” and funded through the resources of the “Bundesprogramm ländliche Entwicklung und regionale Wertschöpfung (BULE+)”.

The BMWSB implemented the following thematic priorities to support rural areas:

  • Regional and intermunicipal cooperation:
    City-rural partnerships, Governance
  • Ensuring basic services to guarantee equitable living conditions:
    Supra-regional or regional technical basic services (e.g., mobility); Social basic services (e.g., health), including the utilization of digitization potentials
  • Structural change and regional structural policy:

    • Support for specific rural regions affected by structural changes (e.g. coal regions), decentralisation, instruments and individual projects of an active structural policy
    • Model projects for integrated economic promotion approaches in regional development, strengthening regional development planning
  • Demographic change, regional and cultural identity

"Region gestalten" is implemented through:

On the “Region gestalten” website (in German), you could access extensive information about the program, as well as details about the individual thematic initiatives, individual projects, studies, and reference works within the “Region gestalten” program family. Additionally, events, newsletters, and insights were regularly maintained on this site.

You can find descriptions of each project in our german brochure
Download (PDF, 33MB, File meets accessibility standards)

The Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) provides technical and administrative support for “Region gestalten”. Its tasks include developing promising new approaches for practical implementation and deriving transferable knowledge for the development of rural areas. The BBSR organizes the transfer of knowledge into practice and advises the BMWSB regarding changes in state

Links:
Conclusions of the “Commission on 'Equal Living Conditions' ” (in German)
“Leitbilder und Handlungsstrategien für die Raumentwicklung in Deutschland” (in German)

Are you interested in how Shaping the Region is structured, the aims of the programme and the progress of individual projects?

Then subscribe to the Shaping the Region Newsletter! Our newsletter will keep you regularly informed about ideas and future topics, innovative approaches to solutions, research results as well as news and events around the federal programme Shaping the Region.

Click on the banner to open the registration form for the newsletter "Region gestalten" ("Shaping the region")

Contact us

  • Jessica Ritter
    Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development
    Division FWD 3 "Project Development and Support – Investment Programs"
    Phone: +49 30 18401 8251
    Email: jessica.ritter@bbr.bund.de

  • The contact persons for the individual projects can be found under "Contact".

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