The Municipality of Faaborg- Midtfyn: development through strategic planning

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1 The Municipality of Faaborg- Midtfyn: development through strategic planning By Chr Tønnesen Head of Planning and Culture Agenda The Municipality of Faaborg-Midtfyn - background The strategic development Plan (The Tuscany plan). The strategy for business development Developing the region of Funen: collaboration between municipalities, educational institutions, the private sector etc.

2 The Municipality of Faaborg-Midtfyn - background The Municipality of Faaborg-Midtfyn is a new entity four years old. It's a merger of five small municipalities with different outlooks and different traditions. A rural municipality. 70% of all people lives outside Faaborg and Ringe (two cities that have only around and inhabitants) To start creating a common goal and laying the ground for a shared identity for the municipality, the politicians decided to identify the state of the area, its potentials and needs. The strategic development plan (The Tuscany Plan) The outcome of this work: a strategic plan of development with - A clear vision for the direction and future of the municipality. - a matter-of-fact view on the strengths and weaknesses of the municipality. - a strong focus on participation and ownership from citizens, ngo s and politicians. - an emphasis on the municipality as a body with the means and the obligation to try to develop the area in accordance with its potentials.

3 The strategic development plan (The Tuscany Plan) The strategic development plan (The Tuscany Plan) Faaborg-Midtfyn the challenges - Demography: an increase in the average age of citizens. - Income: Substantially lower income than the national average - based on agriculture and traditional industrial production - Education: a lower educational level than the average. - The above mentioned equals a low taxation level and a pressure on the municipality's ability to maintain the service level, citizens expect.

4 The strategic development plan (The Tuscany Plan) Faaborg-Midtfyn the potentials The strategic development plan (The Tuscany Plan) Faaborg-Midtfyn the potentials - First and foremost an area for settlers of many kinds. - The southern part with its cultural heritage, beautiful nature and laid back atmosphere has a potential appeal to well established couples on the top of the career ladder and senior citizens. - The northern part with its easy access to infrastructure, jobs and urban leisure has an potential appeal to families with beginning careers and kids at home. Focus on the potentials for settlement and tourism the recreational qualities. Also as way to attract new creative companies. The South Funen Archipelago is the golden egg.

5 The strategic development plan (The Tuscany Plan) Faaborg-Midtfyn the vision - The Municipality will strive to be a place where modern, career minded people trying to balance their life between job and spare time can see them self live. - A place to retire to, when the hustle and bustle of urban life is no longer the priority. - A place fit to live a life in two tempi. The strategic development plan (The Tuscany Plan) Faaborg-Midtfyn the actions of the development plan Focus on certain areas: - Kids and youth - Out door activities and nature - Culture and leisure - Health and welness - Development of qualities of both urban areas as well as villages bases on local potentials. - New architecture

6 The strategic development plan (The Tuscany Plan) Faaborg-Midtfyn a few examples of specific initiatives as a consequence of the development plan: - Working for a National park in the archipelago and forest area of South Funen and concrete development of nature and culture bases tourism themes. - Modernisation of municipality run leisure and spare time offers to the citizens. - Plans for the physical development of the two largest urban areas Ringe and Faaborg. (masterplans) - About 18 development plans for lesser urban areas and villages (buttom up processes) - An education in film production for younger people (high school level) The strategic development plan (The Tuscany Plan) Why the allusions to Tuscany? - The Municipality needed to paint an easy understandable picture in peoples head to explain the thoughts. - In the minds of northern Europeans Tuscany is a place, where cultural heritage, nature, ingenuity, food etc. comes together in an very appealing way. Tuscany is the definition of good life. - The success of Tuscany seems also both historically and today to build on a special talent for innovation. - So the municipality coined the catch phrase Imagine a modern, Danish version of Tuscany as subtitle for the development plan.

7 The strategic development plan (The Tuscany Plan) Using the phrase and the development plan as such has been controversial to some, but - the plan has been an excellent tool to guide actions and decisions in the municipality and succesfull for fundraising. - the allusion to Tuscany has secured, that the plan is well known. Also outside the borders of the municipality. The Strategy of Business development The strategic development plan is mainly focused on settling and living in the municipality. A strategy for the development of business and industry was needed as a supplement. Traditionally the service of the municipalities towards the industry has been to secure access to plots of land to build on, infrastructure and a general good service when dealing with different applications from businesses. Not enough to maintain the industry in the area anymore

8 The Strategy of Business development Based on an thorough analyses of the state of the local industry, the municipality decided to adopt a strategy focusing on: - the revitalisation of traditional industry such as metal manufacturing businesses and food industry, making them fit for the competition on an international, knowledge based market. - development of new areas of business, such as film production and welfare technology. - The realisation, that business development in a modern society also involves educational level, innovation ability, public-private cooperation and joint projects across municipality borders. The Strategy of Business development Some of the results of the strategy: - a project focusing on implementing systematic innovative processes in metal manufacturing industries. - a project developing the identity and competitiveness of quality based food production on Funen. Both projects has been set in motion on the initiative of Faaborg-Midtfyn, but are joint ventures of several Funen based municipalities. more power to the subregional film fund Film Funen

9 Developing the region of Funen collaboration between municipalities Joint projects between municipalities is a strategic goal of Faaborg-Midtfyn. A single municipality has often not got the critical mass necessary to lift projects to the level industries need. This is a realization, which is generally shared among the municipalities on Funen. Developing the region of Funen collaboration between municipalities On the initiative of nine mayors of the island, the work on a joint organisation working within business and tourism is in motion at the moment. The vision is to establish an organisation, which has got the means and tools to develop and run large scale projects and initiatives with a real impact on the future possibilities of Industry and tourism on Funen. Common prioritation of projects and work for cofinancing by EU, the state, the region etc. The vision is also to secure the best possible guidance and service towards local businesses and tourists visiting. In a globalised world they both demands for other services as supplement to what local offices offer The industri and education institutions will become a great influence on the overall dispositions

10 Developing the region of Funen collaboration between municipalities Its still in its initial process, testing the municipalities resolve to press forward with the idea. The goal is to start up in early In our minds, the shared strengthening of Funen is the best way to strengthen the businesses and the tourist industry of Faaborg-Midtfyn. Developing the region of Funen collaboration between municipalities Examples of existing and possible joint projects - Implementation of systematic innovation in the metal manufacturing industry. - Development in quality based food production. - Film Fyn film production. - Welfare Technology. - The use of robotic industry in the industry. - Developing Funen as a tourist destination