in content lists or on the content page.The barometer developed for Sitra’s Landmarks Programme confirms the opinion that emerged during the programme’s preparation stage: Finns consider the countryside to be a special resource. The restorative nature of the rural environment is important to Finns, and the business world sees it as holding new business opportunities. The aim, therefore, is to see the countryside flourish, although there is still uncertainty over its future. The countryside needs a new, vital and active role.
Sitra’s Landmarks Programme has developed a barometer to provide the recently launched programme with the latest information on the relationship of Finns to the countryside. In the future, the barometer will be used to monitor how opinions and experiences relating to the countryside change, and the impact of the programme. The survey was answered by 1,504 people in September 2009. A total of 651 municipal decision-makers, business leaders and rural experts answered the questions in the survey concerning their own fields of activity.
We are a ’both and’ nation
Finns should no longer be divided according to their place of residence into rural residents and urban residents, since as many as 36% considered themselves to be both. Alternating between living in urban areas and rural areas is becoming more common and, according to this survey, is considered a pleasant way to live. People’s impressions of the countryside are in the most part positive.
“The Landmarks Programme does not view the countryside and its inhabitants as a separate entity requiring measures. The programme’s direction will follow people’s needs. We hope that the countryside will also empower those people who do not live there. Finns expect this of the countryside, as 93 per cent believe that the countryside will be important to them in the future and 64 per cent of urban residents intend to visit the countryside to recharge their batteries. By meeting the demands of people, the countryside will succeed,” says Eeva Hellström, the Executive Director of the programme.
People want control of their lives
The issues that Finns consider to be important in order to be able to feel that their lives are going well and how these matters are attained became clear in the wide-ranging survey. The ability to influence matters important to oneself, a stress-free pace of life, the meaningfulness of work, the opportunity to be oneself and having control over daily life are, alongside an economic livelihood, those issues that Finns consider to be important, but the realisation of which they are dissatisfied with. According to the survey, people want to have control over their life.
The countryside in 2020
The results of the survey highlight the deep contradiction between the beliefs and hopes concerning the future development of the countryside. Sixty-eight per cent of Finns believe that by 2020 the Finnish countryside will have become severely depopulated. However, only four per cent would allow this to happen. On the other hand, many want the countryside to have strong business activities and a sense of life. Over 50 per cent of Finns would hope to see that in 2020 the countryside would have lots of people working remotely, extensive and respected organic production, flourishing and diverse tourism and a lot of various business activities in general. This is what people hope for but equally as many do not believe this will happen. The survey replies demonstrated that there is no belief in the development of the countryside.
Eco-efficient business activity
In a sparsely populated country such as Finland, the increasing demands for eco-efficiency are a challenge, but also a significant opportunity. Fifty-eight per cent of the municipal decision-makers believe that living in rural areas consumes less energy and natural resources than life in urban areas, whereas the opposite view was held by only 19 per cent. Sixty-three per cent of those working in business management believed that increasing demands for eco-efficiency will increase rural business opportunities.
“The Landmarks Programme will increase understanding of the types of situations in which it will be sensible to centralise activities and those when decentralised activities are best. Furthermore, we are developing models and business operations based on eco-efficient, decentralised solutions, so therefore we are approaching the issue as a possibility,” says Executive Director Eeva Hellström.
The business world also views other rural business opportunities from a diverse perspective. However, rural development experts consider the business environment to have greater potential, and in addition to the familiar tourism sector, see opportunities, for example, in the care sector, welfare services and even within the creative industries and cultural sector. The experts and municipal decision-makers were of the same opinion that the most important issue for the countryside is to develop rural businesses from a new perspective.
“The challenge of doing things in a new way across boundaries has been noted in the Landmarks Programme and we will meet that challenge in our work,” says Eeva Hellström.
Sitra’s Landmarks Programme carried out the Landmarks Barometer in 2009. The survey focused on the central questions at the programme’s launch phase. The survey will be repeated and thus give an indication of changes in attitude. The first information was compiled in September–October 2009. The survey was carried out as an online survey and the field work was performed by Taloustutkimus Oy. The survey was coordinated by Kuule Oy. The target groups for the research were as follows:
Sitra’s Landmarks Programme carried out the Landmarks Barometer in 2009. The survey focused on the central questions at the programme’s launch phase. The survey will be repeated and thus give an indication of changes in attitude. The first information was compiled in September–October 2009. The survey was carried out as an online survey and the field work was performed by Taloustutkimus Oy. The survey was coordinated by Kuule Oy. The target groups for the research were as follows:
Finns, sample size 1,504
business leaders from various sectors and different companies, sample size 249
rural experts working in rural development projects, sample size 158
municipal decision-makers from various municipalities, sample 244
For further information, please contact:
Eeva Hellström, Executive Director, Landmarks Programme
Tel. +358 9 6189 9276, firstname.lastname@sitra.fi
Anne Leppänen, Kuule Oy
Tel. +358 40 720 1055, firstname.lastname@kuule.fi
More information on the Landmarks Programme is available:
www.sitra.fi/maamerkit»
maamerkit.fi (in Finnish) »
The website also contains the Landmarks Barometer, which measures Finns’ conception of the countryside and which has been undertaken for the first time.
Landmarks Barometer (in Finnish)»
Graphs of the Barometer (in Finnish)»