ARL Lunch Talk “Planning the Future for Youth in Europe’s Shrinking Areas”

Hosted by the ARL and organised by Dr. Martina Schorn (Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics, Rural and Mountain Research) and Dr. Lena Greinke (Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover) the ARL Lunch Talk “Planning the Future for Youth in Europe’s Shrinking Areas” took place on Thursday, 19.3.2026, 13:00-14:00h.

Shrinking areas are increasingly becoming the focus of spatial planning in Europe. Numerous studies have already examined the development of these areas. Currently, shrinkage is often equated with rural and peripheral areas. However, a more nuanced perspective towards shrinkage and potential solutions to overcome negative demographic trends is needed. Especially the perspectives of youth and young adults have largely been neglected to date. The aim of the Lunch Talk “Planning the Future for Youth in Europe’s Shrinking Areas” was therefore to bring together scholars from different fields of expertise and reflect on both, the perspectives of shrinking areas and those of young people. The focus was on various topics such as youth participation and youth policies, or strategies to revive shrinking regions. Besides that, we wanted to put a special emphasis on the specific expertise topics of interest and current project outputs of the speakers involved in the Lunch Talk. The invited speakers each represent different perspectives, ensuring a diverse exchange. Experts were: Associate Prof. Romina Rodela (Södertörn University in Sweden), Associate Prof. Dr. Naja Marot (University of Ljubljana in Slovenia), Prof. Dr. Annett Steinführer (University of Rostock and Thünen Institute, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry, and Fisheries in Germany) and Dr. Ria-Maria Adams (University of Vienna in Austria). Overall, the Lunch Talk focused not only on planning in a narrow sense, but also included strategic perspectives, such as policymaking and participatory approaches, in order to generate diverse results that can be applied in future planning processes.

Discussions revealed that youth well-being in peripheral areas is dynamic, changes over their lifetime and is influenced by factors such as community ties, sense of belonging, job or educational availability, affordable housing, and connection to nature outdoor activities or “spatial rurality”. The social norm of outmigration remains strong, yet many young adults maintain hybrid identities, balancing rural connections with urban living. Young adults have special needs; for example, the quality of life considerations emphasize mobility, access to services, and leisure infrastructure and many more. While youth engagement in planning and research faces challenges including participatory fatigue, ethical constraints, and adult-centric approaches, the target group of young adults is very important and needs to be addressed.

The experts in the Lunch Talk highlight the complexity of youth decisions to stay or leave, noting that these are not binary choices but fluid processes shaped by social, economic, and cultural factors. The role of young adults is ambitious: often, they grow up in special conditions surrounded by elderly people that take decisions in administration. When local budgets are tight youth lacks places to meet. Moreover, there may be not only one place for young people to meet and exchange as “the youth” is very diverse concerning gender, age, social belonging, etc. Planners and researchers often find it challenging to engage young adults; however, gatekeepers can play a key role in facilitating their involvement. However, engagement through schools and institutions varies by context and can be constrained by curricula and ethical considerations. The panel recognizes the challenges of encouraging young people to participate in democratic and planning processes, noting that social media has become a particularly effective channel for communication. Final reflections stress the need to challenge paternalistic views as sometimes policy and adult-centric views dominates research. Recognizing youth as distinct policy stakeholders enables cultural and spatial opportunities for youth, and appreciates the diverse interpretations of a good life among young people in shrinking areas. Research and planning need to create environments that respect diverse youth experiences and aspirations. The meeting concludes that dialogue is needed to better integrate youth perspectives into spatial planning and rural development strategies: the voices of young people must be placed at the centre of research and policy.

For further documentation see the post “Planning the Future for Youth in Europe’s Shrinking Areas: Reflections From ARL Lunch Talk” Co-authored by Romina Rodela and Ria-Maria Adams: https://medium.com/youth-plan/planning-the-future-for-youth-in-europes-shrinking-areas-reflections-from-arl-lunch-talk-1d9ebc628bcb