Abschlussbericht Forschung - Umweltbüro Klagenfurt

EB & P Umweltbüro GmbH
Abstract
In the project "My featured space 2025" about 40 students from the Alps-Adriatic region worked together
with researchers and regional developers on the issues of quality of life in rural areas. The aim of the
project was to develop a model for quality of life in rural areas following the method of F. VESTER
(2002). Involved were pupils aged 16-19. The main scientific question was: What would rural area in the
future need to provide an attractive living space for young people.
In the first phase of the project the students documented their rural habitats in short videos using methods
of qualitative social research. Evaluating those videos the pupils defined 20 parameters for quality of life in
rural areas. In the second phase young people discussed the mutual effects of these parameters on the basis
of sensivity model (VESTER, 2002). Having clarified the interaction of the parameters in the system
"Quality of life in rural regions" the pupils identified the parameters that have strong effects in the system.
Results were implemented in a database and in a computer game, programmed by the Informatics Systems
Institute which at the moment is in ß-version.
Based on findings of the research in the third phase of the project the pupils developed pilot projects to
improve the quality of life in their project area. Using the database created in the research project, the
pupils were able to present and explain the effects of their projects.
In the fourth project phase, the pupils presented project results to broad public together with researchers. In
the final event in Bleiburg/Pliberk (A) the project results were presented to the politicians, officials and
regional managers from Carinthia (A), Gorenjska (SLO) and Friuli (I) who were impressed by the
professional presentations and sound results. At the project presentations at the participating schools the
groups of participating pupils could disseminate the results and their experience to their classmates. At the
presentations in their home rural communities youth also convinced the local actors to believe that they can
make an attractive and important contribution to regional development.
The frequent media coverage over the entire project period refered to the public interest in the topic "Youth
in rural areas" and showed an essential topic for the future of these regions. "My featured space" indicated
that young people could shape the rural spaces both as researchers and also in the realisation phases.
My featured space 7 Abschlussbericht Forschung