Ringebu Municipality, much like other local and supra-local communities, faces complex challenges of attracting the competence and people needed to sustain a stable population growth, maintain a healthy demographic balance and safeguard local jobs. Today, a citizen-centred development of a sustainable and viable village centre is one of the main pillars in creating a resilient and attractive municipality which is fit for the future. The municipality’s willingness and ability to adapt to their new role as a facilitator of co-creation and citizen-driven placemaking becomes instrumental in achieving this.
Hence, the initiative started by establishing a weekly village market during the summer season of 2002. The general objective was to create a livelier neighbourhood and an arena where people could meet up and socialise in an informal and communal way. In the following years, Ringebu Municipality implemented several innovative actions to embrace and further strengthen and develop co-creation as a culture and working method. The making of the village has been made possible thanks to various creative crowdfunding collaborations among several local stakeholders. The benefit of using civic engagement as a development driver is that the development is a response to real local needs, aspirations and resources. In that way, the ownership and consequently the responsibility for the liveability and attractiveness of the village remains with the local stakeholders, with support from the municipality.
This entails a fundamentally positive perspective on citizens as capable and empowered participants of society and enables a more financially sustainable and democratic development of the local community. For these reasons, it has been important for Ringebu Municipality to have an awareness of the need to transition from being merely an administrative agency to being a proactive team player and facilitator. This is an innovative and progressive mindset with interesting implications for the practice of public administration – for example, when it comes to stakeholder involvement.
Some activities carried out by the initiative are:
- Ringebu Municipality has played an important role in providing the necessary support for the initiative. This can be done by being the matchmaker between people and resources from different disciplines or fields who would otherwise not find each other. The municipality has also advised non-profit organisations on opportunities to apply for grants and consulting throughout the process. Moreover, the municipality has actively identified and encouraged positive initiatives, and generated confidence that Ringebu is the place where success is applauded.
- The Small Business Association (SBA) has been working consistently and inclusively with the cultivation of the village, and has arguably been an engine for development throughout the years.
- The annual village market is today financed and organised by the SBA, and they also contribute to the realisation of various events such as annual festivals.
- The local civic engagement and sustainable profile are main reasons why Oppland County has been an important financial contributor and partner in realising several larger placemaking projects in Ringebu. Examples of projects include a new pedestrian bridge, significant urban design upgrades, and a new and modern Innovation Centre with co-working spaces, and a public library in the main street of the village.