National Village Centre Conference

Processes for upgrading, revitalising and renewing village centres: from the vision, financing and implementation to long-term and sustainable further development. The entire process of realising future projects for village centres was the focus of the conference.

The historic village centre of Sta. Maria is, in a sense, the diamond in the rough or the practical example that has not yet been solved. In contrast, four best practice examples served as starting points for the discussion on the four phases of the process of renewing and revitalising village centres.

The best practice examples on vision (Wilderswil BE: traffic relief, flood protection and commercial zone > thereby reinterpretation of the village centre), on financing (Turtmann VS: long-term planning with the population, loans in stages according to the possibility of the municipality, communicating the value of a project), on implementation (Niedergesteln VS: driving force in the lead, long-term planning, good information and involvement of the population, long-term planning) and for long-term further development (Valendas GR: finding a good form of participation, clarifying the sponsorship, clear objectives, leadership and good networks) resulted in impulses for places such as Sta. Maria, where no process has yet been set in motion.

• BVR - Graubünden Association for Spatial Development
• Monument preservation Graubünden
• Swiss Mountain Aid