Großrinderfeld’s former mayor Manfred Weis has developed a system to revive decaying village centers.
Großrinderfeld. Important cornerstones for the preservation of village life are securing local supplies and revitalizing village restaurants with new ideas and approaches as a local place of communication and culture in the village center. His years of work as a mayor and municipal employee in the cities of Würzburg and Bad Mergentheim culminated in Großrinderfeld’s former mayor Manfred Weis in a consulting company that offers its services to private individuals and companies on site, but also to municipalities. The most important thing is that work is carried out across borders. His good relationships with the city of Würzburg, but also in the district of Würzburg and the Main-Tauber district help with this.
“Our cross-border region certainly has more opportunities and potential than has been used so far,” Weis is certain. The Main-Tauber district belongs politically to Heilbronn or Stuttgart. But people have always been oriented towards Würzburg. The Regiopol Region of Würzburg did not want to lean on Frankfurt or Nuremberg, but also wanted to go its own way. But that not only requires a lot of strength and energy, but also far-sightedness outside of the box.
An advantage of more and better cooperation in the two regions of Main and Tauberfranken around Würzburg, Tauber and parts of Hohenlohe are the well-developed traffic axes (for example B 19 and B 27) with various university and business locations. It was important to connect rural areas to these economic axes.
In the densification area around the Würzburg regional center, according to Weis, life is still quite good. But beyond that, it would be difficult for the communities to maintain a functioning village life. Many villages lose their inhabitants who move to the city or the bacon belt. With his approach, Weis wants to reverse this trend and make country life more attractive again. “Rural areas have to be integrated,” he says, giving examples of how this can be done. In his opinion, there are four modules that can help to ensure a satisfied life in rural areas. A good mix of housing offers plays a role here. But an existing local supply with a restaurant, cultural events and a village shop are also a basic requirement. Medical and health services should also be available.
The new village center should be supported by the interest and commitment of the citizens. In a citizens ‘and ideas workshop in cooperation with the municipality, these should initiate local projects and lead their implementation and operation, for example in the form of a citizens’ cooperative, under their own responsibility. This could be, for example, small businesses in the local supply in a village center, the rental of a commercial building for medical services or the entrepreneurial participation in the operation of an outdoor photovoltaic system, as well as the development of a local heating supply.
If this new center is supported at least in part by a citizens’ and ideas workshop and its implementation by a local cooperative principle, every resident has a vested interest in the success of the whole, Weis is convinced. Not everyone can contribute equally, but within the scope of his options. The former mayor sees good chances of success for a system of living and living in rural areas. “The infrastructure is no longer available in many municipalities, but it needs to be revived”.
Weis can imagine additional “mini centers” around the Würzburg bacon belt. At a traffic junction, a large “park at ride-parking lot” that connects directly to a shopping center could motivate many commuters to park their cars and continue to Würzburg by public transport or carpooling. This would relieve the heavily loaded access roads and maintain the economic strength in the villages. Weis is certain that this will also make a contribution to climate protection. But he also knows that many factors have to be taken into account.
“It is important to bind the citizens to their community,” is Manfred Weis’s top priority. But the administration itself should not be neglected either. “If both use their potential, everyone will benefit from it.”
© Franconian News, Friday, June 12th, 2020
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