Interreg III B Project PUSEMOR
Workpackage 5
Regional Report
Team Western Switzerland
January 2006
Table of content 1 Introduction ...... 1 1.1 PUSEMOR: Project background ...... 1 1.2 Workpackage 5 Regional studies: Goals, objectives and activities...... 2 1.2.1 Output 1: Description of methodology and activities ...... 3 1.2.2 Output 2: Description of methodology and activities ...... 3 1.2.3 Output 3: Description of methodology and activities ...... 5 2 Country : Switzerland...... 6 2.1 Territorial organisation of Switzerland ...... 6 2.2 Public services...... 6 3 Regional and test areas profile ...... 8 3.1 Geographical situation...... 8 3.1.1 Test area Chablais vaudois...... 9 3.1.2 Test area Nord vaudois...... 9 3.1.3 Test area Obersimmental-Saanenland ...... 9 3.2 Demography and human potential ...... 10 3.2.1 Overview ...... 10 3.2.2 Test area Chablais vaudois...... 10 3.2.3 Test area Nord vaudois...... 11 3.2.4 Test area Obersimmental-Saanenland ...... 12 3.3 Socio economic situation...... 13 3.3.1 Overview ...... 13 3.3.2 Test area Chablais vaudois...... 14 3.3.3 Test area Nord vaudois...... 16 3.3.4 Test area Obersimmental-Saanenland ...... 17 4 The Public services in the test areas : Description, evaluation, perspectives...... 20 4.1 Methodology...... 20 4.2 Test area Chablais vaudois...... 21 4.2.1 Private and public transport...... 21 4.2.2 Public administration : social services (social care/health care/ elderly), police ..22 4.2.3 Education : kindergartens and primary schools, professional and personal training ...... 24 4.2.4 Telecommunication : telephony, internet, Tv and radio...... 25 4.2.5 Every day needs : food and non food items, fuel, postal services ...... 25 4.2.6 Resumee test area Chablais vaudois...... 26 4.3 Test area Nord Vaudois...... 29 4.3.1 Private and public transport...... 29 4.3.2 Health and social services (social care/health care/ elderly)...... 29 4.3.3 Education : kindergartens and primary schools, professional and personal training ...... 30 4.3.4 Telecommunication : telephony, internet, Tv and radio...... 30 4.3.5 Every day needs : food and non food items, fuel, postal services ...... 30 4.3.6 Resumee test area Nord Vaudois ...... 32 4.4 Test area Obersimmental – Saanenland...... 34 4.4.1 Overview ...... 34 4.4.2 Private and public transport...... 35 4.4.3 Local and regional public administration incl. Police ...... 36 4.4.4 Health care / care for elderly ...... 37 4.4.5 Education: kindergartens and primary schools, professional and personal training ...... 39 4.4.6 Telecommunication : telephony, internet, TV and radio ...... 41 4.4.7 Every day needs : food and non food items, fuel, postal services ...... 42 4.4.8 Resumee test area OSSA...... 43 5 Best practices in the test area, their specifics and conditions for transferability ...... 46 6 Conclusion and next steps...... 47 6.1 Conclusion on the regional level...... 47 6.2 Next steps on transnational level...... 48 7 Appendix ...... 49 Le P’tit Mag (small shop) in Corcelles sur Chavornay ...... 50 SpediBEO ...... 52 Electric company of the Valley of Joux ...... 54 PubliCar : a bus on request...... 56 Health, social and elderly center in Ste-Croix ...... 58 Building wiht several uses (multifunction center) in Ballaigues...... 60 Management plan („Altersleitbild“) for the regional policy for elderly ...... 62
Table of figures Fig. 1 Concentration and dispersion of the establishments ...... 7 Fig. 2 Test areas Western Switzerland and Ticino ...... 8 Fig. 3 Demography in the test areas...... 10 Fig. 4 Socio economic situation in the test areas ...... 13 Fig. 5 Resumee Chablais vaudois...... 26 Fig. 6 Evolution in the number of establishments in the domain of every day needs...... 31 Fig. 7 Resumee Nord vaudois ...... 32 Fig. 8 Accessibility of public services in the region OSSA...... 34 Fig. 9 Assessment of services in the domain of transports...... 36 Fig. 10 Assessment of services in the domain of public administration...... 37 Fig. 11 Assessment of services in the domain of health care / care for elderly...... 38 Fig. 12 Assessment of services in the domain of child care / education / training ...... 40 Fig. 13 Assessment of services in the domain of telecommunication...... 41 Fig.14 Assessment of services in the domain of daily needs...... 42 Fig. 15 Public services in OSSA : problems and perspectives...... 44 Fig. 16 Seven best practices from Western Switzerland ...... 46
1 Introduction
1.1 PUSEMOR: Project background
In today's mobile society and economy, the provision with public services (or more precisely: with services of public interest) is a locational key factor. Topographical features and frequently low population density mean that the public services in Alpine regions generally cover only a part of their costs. Market liberalisation and other factors threaten to reduce the availability of some services even further. New supply strategies are required to improve the quality of public services while reducing costs.
The project “PUSEMOR” aims at developing sustainable strategies and innovative solutions to improve the provision of public services in sparsely populated mountain regions. This with the ambition to grade up these regions both as economic places and as places of residence.
To reach these goals, the project has both an analytical / scientific and a strategic / political dimension. The analysis aims at gathering existing knowledge from the various regions involved, combining it in a methodical way and expanding it in specific areas. The strategic dimension is concerned with the formulation of implementation- ready concepts and pilot projects to improve provision of public services in sparsely populated areas.
Consequently, the main activities of PUSEMOR are: • Workpackage 5: Regional studies (analysing the current standard of public services and its development during the last years, analysing the key factors of economic, political/institutional and technological framework conditions, identification of good ideas and best practices to improve the provision of public services.) • Workpackage 6: Transnational comparison of the results of regional studies and common inventory of best practices. • Workpackage 7a: Elaboration and development of innovative and effective new strategies and pilot projects. • Workpackage 7b and 8: Elaboration of recommendations for several stakeholders (public authorities/ policy makers, regional and local NGOs, providers of public services, consultants in regional development etc. • Workpackage 4: Permanent publicity activities about project’s findings and results.
For more information about PUSEMOR (Partners, activities, news) see www.pusemor.net (in 5 languages)
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 1 1.2 Workpackage 5 Regional studies: Goals, objectives and activities
The Workpackage 5 "Regional studies" aims at: • Clarifying the development and the current standard of public services in selected sparsely populated areas (1 - 3 test areas per participating region); • Identifying the needs of different user groups in these areas; • Providing an inventory of exemplary new strategies i.e. "best practices" to improve basic provision in sparsely populated areas drawn up, including an examination of the key factors in economic, political/institutional and technological framework crucial for the implementation of the identified best practices.
Following the objectives stated, the Workpackage 5 has resulted in regional-specific statements on three issues, presented as three Outputs: • OUTPUT (1) actual standard of public services and its development over the last years, including basic description and conditions of respective test areas • OUTPUT (2) Assessment by the users of the range of services, • OUTPUT (3) Detailed description of exemplary new strategies in the regions (inventory of „good ideas“), including an Outline of the relevant economic, political/institutional and technological framework
This REGIONAL INTERMEDIATE REPORT (RIR) summarises findings of all three outputs for each of the total 9 regional teams 1.
The Slovenian partners (BSC Kranj together with Barbara Cernic Mali from the Urban Planning Institute) were responsible for leading of this WP (elaborating a methodology and common, standardised instruments, assistance to the other partners in doing regional studies, first guidelines for interpretation). They were assisted by the SAB as technical lead partner of the whole project.
1 Italy: Regione Lombardia and GAL Appennino Genovese; Austria: Bundesland Tirol and Bundesland Kärnten; France: Region Franche-Comté; Germany: Regionalverband Südl. Oberrhein; Slovenia: Gorenjska Region; Switzerland: Suisse occidentale and Canton Ticino. Each of the regional teams defined one to four so called test areas for the studies. PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 2
1.2.1 Output 1: Description of methodology and activities
The aim of the Output 1 was to present basic characteristics of the individual areas. In order to provide adequate input for subsequent workpackages (i.e. transnational comparisons for WP6 and Strategies for WP7) a unified structure of the Outpu1 reports was suggested. The slovenian partners, responsible for the technical lead of WP5 prepared a template. The template was then revised, based on discussion and comments by partners. The template included quantitative data, as well as qualitative descriptions.
The following thematic issues were treated: • Territorial organisation, geographical situation and natural conditions within the test area / region; • Demographical situation and trends; • Economic structure and trends in general with special emphasis on agriculture and tourism (as important for sparsely populated mountain regions); • Fixed infrastructure (electricity, water, roads etc.); • First information (from existing literature) about the situation of five domains of public services (transports, public administration, education / child care, every day needs and telecommunications) .
1.2.2 Output 2: Description of methodology and activities
The most important part of the WP5, was the Output 2 where the PUSEMOR partners analysed the assessment of public services by the users of those sevices.
As the first step the workpackage leader prepared a short questionnaire for the partners. The partners were asked to submit their plans with regard to two questions: first on the public services which will be focal in their areas and secondly, which method they intend to use (survey, workshop; expert interviews). Partners were also asked to define the end users (e.g. youth; elderly; general etc.).
The workpackage lead partner suggested that the methodology used by individual partners is not very diverse. However, it has soon become evident that it will be very difficult to use the same methodology i.e. wide survey among users. The costs of designing the survey, sampling, doing the survey itself and processing the data were beyond the financial, as well
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 3 as time capacities of some partners. Therefore, all methods i.e. survey, workshops and/or expert interviews were applied.
The workpackage leader prepared two questionnaires for evaluation of public services:
-: a questionnaire for private users;
-: a questionnaire for managers of small and medium enterprises.
The questionnaires were prepared in such a manner that they could be used either for face to face or phone survey, for postal survey, for workshops or for expert (=selected) interviews. 2
Regardless of methodology used, the partners were asked that the results should clearly answer four sets of questions within four basic dimensions: a) Which are the domains of problematic public services as assessed by users? (= Specification of content) b) by which end user group is the problem especially felt? (private users? enterprises, esp. SME? (= Specification of demand) c) What is the geographical "location" of problematic public services? (zones, communities within our test areas etc. = Spatial dimension) d) Has the problem of inadequate public service already reached its full dimension or is it expected to increase (or only to appear) in the near future? / Why? (links to socio- economic and other trends of regional development) (= Temporal dimension).
Despite different methodologies used, the results of the assesment fulfill the stated objectives. 3
2 Some parts of questionnaire were prepared in alternatives to suit mentioned different modes of survey. 3 The methodology used by individual partners is further described within the chapter on the public services in the test areas.
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 4
1.2.3 Output 3: Description of methodology and activities
The Output 3 aimed at the identification and detailed presentation of exemplary new strategies in the regions (inventory of "best practices"). Special attention was given to identification and presentation of relevant economic, political/institutional and technological conditions.
As the first step the lead partners prepared a list of important information on individual best practices, which was to be gathered. Upon further discussion and amendments, a standardised "PUSEMOR Best Practice Form" was prepared.
The form included: • Basic information on the best practice (e.g. title; area of domain/s; target group; territorial level; time frame; basic idea and aim; background; initiator; functions; provider; financial issues; contact person etc.);
• Specifics (e.g. innovativeness; problems encountered; plans; feedback; evaluation; whether the provision required special institutional arrangements; changes in legislation, establishment of new local or regional body etc.);
• Transferability issues (e.g. is the best practice transferable to other areas of domain in public services; is it transferable conditionally; under which conditions).
The partners fulfilled their task in a very extensive manner. By the end of October 2005, all together they have identified and presented 52 best practice cases, within the following domains of public services:
• Health and elderly care (9 examples)
• Transport and telecommunication (20)
• Education and Culture (12)
• Every day needs (5).
• Others / several domains (6)
The examples of best practices were presented and discussed during the PUSEMOR meeting (Bled, Slovenia 17th and 18th October 2005).
The collection of all best practices will be available on the website www.pusemor.net and a special collection will be edited in summer 2006 after the further processing within Workpackage 6.
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 5
2 Country : Switzerland
2.1 Territorial organisation of Switzerland
Switzerland has 4 political-institutional levels : 1 nation, 26 cantons, 175 districts, 2815 municipalities. The federalistic principle gives the municipalities a lot of autonomy, they have their own right to request taxes and have their own executive and legislative organs. In the following domains of the public sector the municipalities have much importance : formation (primary and secundary school); water, electricity, waste; social and health care (in agreement with the cantons); constructions and roads; organisation of the administration. These decisions are based on national or cantonal laws. To provide the public services, especially small municipalities often collaborate in so called "regionalen Zweckverbänden" or "Regionen" (small regional partnerships of convenience). An example for such "regions" and of a special significance in context of mountain development are the 54 mountain regions (so called “regions LIM”), which were formed during the seventies. According size, form of organisation, functions and resources these regions differ very much, but they have as a common goal to promote the sustainable development of their municipalities and for this, they receive money from the confederation and the cantons.
2.2 Public services
As in the other european countries, there is also in Switzerland a tendency to liberalise the public services. Rather advanced are these steps in the ICT (telephone, radio, television) and in some sections of transports (busses), while in other domains as the postal service or health care the liberalisation process is slower. However, the former public enterprises are until today the most important players and have a strong monopoly in their markets. So in theory there runs not a "liberalisation" but a "economic reregulation" of the public services : the economic aims and principles become more important while the principle of equality between all regions and social groups is more and more queried.
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 6
A swiss federal statistic office‘s study 1 shows that from 1995 to 2001 the percentage of communities equipped with commercial services such as stores, banks and small retail businesses has diminished.
The graphic below shows that in 2001 restaurants and primary grade schools are the best spread out on the communities territories. Food stores, banks and medical practices are present at least in 50% of the swiss municipalities. On the other hand, the other domains of PUSEMRO study (kindergartens, small stores, pharmacies and secundary schools) are not.
Fig. 1 Concentration and dispersion of the establishments
(Source: swiss federal statistic office, 2005)
1 Swiss federal statistic office (OFS), „Services à la population : répartition territoriale 1995-2001“, July 2005. PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 7
3 Regional and test areas profile
3.1 Geographical situation
The team Western Switzerland contains 3 test areas :
• the Nord vaudois
• the Chablais vaudois
• the region Obersimmental-Saanenland (OSSA).
The Nord vaudois belongs to canton Vaud. This region is close to France and contains 3 districts : district of Yverdon (Yverdon is the main city, with 25‘000 inhabitants), the district of Grandson and the district of Orbe.
The Chablais vaudois belongs also to canton Vaud. This test area contains one district : the disctrict of Aigle. It is located in the Rhone Valley, close to the lake of Geneva.
The third test area, the region Obersimmental-Saanenland belongs to canton Bern and contains 2 disctricts: Obersimmental and Saanenland.
Fig. 2 Test areas Western Switzerland and Ticino
(Source: SAB, 54 mountain regions of Switzerland)
Nord Zürich vaudois
Bern
Geneva
Chablais Ticino vaudois Obersimmental -Saanenland PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 8
3.1.1 Test area Chablais vaudois
The region Chablais vaudois contains 1 district and 15 communes, distributed in the Rhone Valley and in the Alps. The region could be divided in big mountains (Alps) and plain area (Rhone valley) and is made up of 40% forest, 35% agriculture, 6% residential area and 19% unproductive.
3.1.2 Test area Nord vaudois
The region Nord vaudois contains 3 districts (Orbe, Grandson and Yverdon) and 83 communes, dispersed in the plain and in the Jura mountain. The region contains mountain area (Jura), a lake (lake of Neuchâtel) and a plain area (plain of Orbe). It is a big region in comparison with the other regions of the canton Vaud. There are a lot of small and concentrated villages (less than 500 inhabitants), with a strong identity.
Yverdon is the centre. Sub centres are Orbe-Chavornay, Ste-Croix, Vallorbe. The region is made up of:
• District Orbe (plain) : 42% forest, 50% agriculture, 7% residential area, 1% unproductive
• District Grandson (lake of Neuchâtel and Jura mountain) : 47% forest, 47% agriculture, 5% residential area, 1% unproductive
• District Yverdon (plain with Yverdon as the main city) : 23% forest, 66% agriculture, 10% residential area, 1% unproductive
3.1.3 Test area Obersimmental-Saanenland
The region LIM Obersimmental-Saanenland (OSSA) contains 2 districts (Obersimmental and Saanenland) and 7 municipalities (Boltigen, Zweisimmen, Lenk, St. Stefan, Saanen with Gstaad, Gsteig and Lauenen). It is a mountain area on the north with declivity of a high alpine range between "Diablerets" (3210 m) and "Wildstrubel" (3244 m). More than 18% of the region is above 2000 meters. The region is made up of 30% forests, 46.6% agriculture, 2.6% residential area, 20.6% unproductive.
The settlement is concentrated in the two valleys of Simme and Saane. The original settlement is rather scattered (farms, agricultural hamlets) but in the last decades it has become more concentrated. Today, the region has two centres: Saanen/Gstaad and Zweisimmen. Gstaad is very famous for (luxury-) tourism. Zweisimmen is on a stategic position because it is situated in the obliged passage to the cities (Thun, Bern as main city of Switzerland).
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 9
There is a trend to centralize the infrastructure on two levels: Zweisimmen has lost working places to major cities out of the region (because of the reduction of the army, the hospital and other public services activities) and some of the smaller villages have lost population in favour of the touristic centres.
3.2 Demography and human potential
3.2.1 Overview
Fig. 3 Demography in the test areas
(Source: Statistics of canton Vaud and swiss federal statistic office)
Criteria District District District District District Ober- District Switzerland Grandson simmental Saanenland Aigle Yverdon Orbe
Area (km2) 434 156.6 176 209.8 334 240 41285
Inhabitants/km2 81 225 69 92 23.8 34.6 178.4
Municipalities 15 38 20 25 4 3 2873
Population 2001 35‘133 34‘515 12‘191 19‘253 7‘952 8‘352 7'288‘010
Change of population 25.9 20.7 12.8 22.6 6.2 18.8 15 1981 – 2001 (%)
Change of population 7.5 7.5 7.1 7.8 0.6 11.4 7.9 1991 – 2001 (%)
% of population < 19 26 24 23 26 24.6 22.3 (year 2001)
% of population > 65 16 17 19 15 17.3 17.3 15.7 (year 2001)
3.2.2 Test area Chablais vaudois
Demography, demografical trends
The number of inhabitants of the district of Aigle (= test area Chablais vaudois) was always increasing, even in the mountainous area. Now it has the same number of inhabitants (about 35'000) as the district of Yverdon.
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 10
The commune of Ollon (specially the ski resort Villars) expanded during the last 5 years (+ 1531 inhabitants between 1990 et 2003). The communes of Ormonts-dessus (mountain area with Les Diablerets as main center), Rennaz and Villeneuve (plain area, near to the lake of Geneva), have increased as well with about 250 more inhabitants (between 1990 and 2003) in each municipalities. The entire Aigle district expects to have 6000 more inhabitants in the year 2020 than in 2000.
Human potential and regional identity
In the montain part, two resort villages, Villars and Leysin, enjoy a worlwide renown with their international schools and ski resorts. From the early 20 th century to the late fifties, Leysin became a famous health spa devoted to tuberculosis treatments based on fresh mountain air and sun. Things have changed and sanatoriums from this era have been converted into hotels. Villars has seen the growth of high standing tourism, thanks notably to the international schools alumni. The people of communities such as Ormont-Dessous including Le Sépey and Les Mosses pass, and Ormont-Dessus with Les Diablerets as center, are known to have a strong strain of mountain men identity. In fact, the Ormonants have fiercely defended their assets, mainly farming lands, against the other vaudois. To that end they made alliance over the centuries with the Bernois.
At the crossroad of the valley leading to the Diablerets and the road to the Leysin plateau, Le Sépey village has lost a lot of its attractiveness in recent years. In the seventies, the place was still alive with a strong identity population. Now the people work mainly in the lowlands and the village life has dwindled.
3.2.3 Test area Nord vaudois
Demography, demografical trends
The population of the district of Orbe is increasing because of the proximity of the highway (Berne-Lausanne).The district of Grandson and the small municipalites of the distict of Yverdon have a decreasing population.The small villages have lost the public services (post, bank, bakery, dairy) and sometimes restaurants. These services concentrate now in the sub centers or in villages with more than 1'000 inhabitants.
The Yverdon district plans to have 8000 more people in 2020 than in the year 2000. The Orbe district plan on 4000 while the Grandson district should show a lesser growth of 1700 inhabitants. The Grandson district includes the village of Ste-Croix, landmark of watchmaking and precision mecanical engineering. In the eighties, the area suffered a crisis leading exodus of inhabitants that lead to today‘s high rate of old age folks in the population. PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 11
Human potential and regional identity
The municipality of Ste-Croix and the Jura chain have a long tradition of precision industry (clock, juwellery). The area trains engeneers in all disciplines, incl. computer sciences. In comparison, the mountain region of the Nord vaudois was not a farmer region like the other swiss alpine regions. Here was agriculture always a part time job.
The other part of the region (plain area, coast of Lake of Neuchâtel) has a more diffuse identity.
3.2.4 Test area Obersimmental-Saanenland
Demography, demografical trends
The district of Obersimmental has experienced migration during the last years. Agriculture, hospital, military and other public services reduced work places and the other branches (esp. tourism) could not compensate this evolution. E.g. in 2002, 74 persons left the district. The district of Saanenland is growing because of the immigration of young people and foreigners working in the strong tourism sector. E.g. in 2002, 41 persons came to the district. The rate of people > 64 years old is 2% higher than in 1981 (usual for Switzerland).
Education level and structure
About 30% of the population over 25 have only a graduation of primary school, about 53% a graduation on the level secondary II and 13% one of tertiary level (whole Switzerland: 22,9%, 49,2% and 21,5%). Main reasons for these deviances are the economic structure of the area and the distance to the higher level educational institutions. Noticeable are the differences within the area, particularly between the tourist center Saanen and the small rural municipalities Boltigen, Gsteig and Lauenen. The brain drain is also a problem for this area.
Human potential and regional identity
The district Saanenland is influenced by a long and intensive contact with the proximate french speaking part of Switzerland (canton de Vaud) and the long and successfull tradition in international tourism. People are used to have contact with foreigners and to travel.
The district Obersimmental has a long tradition of horse and cattle trade („Simmenthaler“) with other countries / regions, but beside of this, agriculture, small industries and also tourism are more (Swiss) domestic orientated.
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 12
From a political point of view, the population of these two districts is rather conservative and traditional orientated and some differences and conflicts exist between the native population and recent newcomers.
In this domain again, there are differences within the test area between the international orientated tourist resort Gstaad (Saanen) and the small rural municipalities.
3.3 Socio economic situation
3.3.1 Overview
Fig. 4 Socio economic situation in the test areas
(Source: SAB, Swiss federal statistic office, statistic of the cantons)
Criteria District District District District District Ober- District Switzerland Grandson simmental Saanenland Aigle Yverdon Orbe
Sectors of economy
Primary sector 2001 abs. 1775 1429 709 1172 1298 994 220‘000
- in % 12.6 9.4 15.8 14.6 14 1 18 5.8
- development 1981-2001 - 29 -24.8 -23 -16.3 -25.8 -31.5 -30.1 (in %)
- number of farms 2001 448 375 202 313 443 348 67‘421
Secondary sector 2001 ab. 3334 3380 1462 2954 693 1113 1'062‘000
- in % 22.9 22.1 32.7 36.9 16 20.5 26.6
- development 1981 -2001 - 19.4 - 19.9 - 15.9 - 20.6 + 1.4 + 11.4 -21.2 2 (%)
Tertiary sector 2001 abs. 9447 10458 2305 3885 2125 3368 2'918‘000
- in % 64.9 68.5 51.5 48.5 51 61.5 67.6
- development 1981-2001 +17.5 + 32.9 + 24 +40.9 + 12.2 + 30.7 + 6 2 (%)
1 an other statistic (agriculture) mentions 31 % 2 development 1990-2001
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 13
Employment (job principle)
Persons in employment 16‘853 15‘267 4‘476 8‘011 6‘263 4‘155‘000
Persons in employment / 48% 50% 47% 51% 38% 3 57% population 2001
Unemployment rate 2001 5 5.7 4.3 4.7 2.9 2.7 1.7
Number of inhabitants 30% 33% 45% 45% 6,4% - working outside the district
Tourism
Overnight stays 2003 549‘990 87‘328 439‘000 31'200‘257 (hotels only)
Overnight stays / inhabitants 15,6 1.32 26.9 4.3 2001
3.3.2 Test area Chablais vaudois
Economic structure (characteristics)
In the plain area, the chemical industry employs many people. There are also some SME and industries (agro-business, recycling industry). The region is 30 minutes (by train) away from Lausanne (big city on the lake of Geneva), where many people work.
Unemployment was a big problem in 1995-98, but in the beginning of 2000 new enterprises in the fun and commercial sectors set up in the plain and created new jobs. However, it is always difficult for young people to find their first job in the region.
In the mountain communities, people get their earning mainly from tourism and services tied to banking and the hotel industry. Chalets building generates many jobs in the area but outside competitors importing pre-fabricated chalets from northern European countries carry dark clouds of worries on the future of this activity. It takes away precious job opportunities from local people. A Chablais vaudois distinctive feature is the fact that international schools bring in the area many youths from wealthy foreign families.
3 an other statistic mentions 54% PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 14
Commuting (within and out of the area)
59% of the employed persons living in the district work in the district. Daily commuting to work in the lowlands of the Rhône plain is a common fate for many inhabitants of the mountain communities. Still, a few businesses from the plain reverse the trend and ride up to the tourist resorts to perform their trades.
Agriculture
Agriculture in this part of the Rhone valley is charachterised by corn, vegetables and wine (on the hillsides of the valley). In the mountainous area, agriculture is oriented towards milk and breeding.
Lumber industry was once upon the time a thriving activity in the Chablais vaudois mountain region but it is no longer profitable to work the forest today : sawmills shut down, building lumber (construction) is imported and the local production suffers.
Tourism
In the mountain area, tourism and construction are the two most important sector. Some ski resort are famous: Villars, Leysin, Les Diablerets (Glaciers 3000).
Tourism contributes to 25% to the GDP of the region.
• 45% of the overnight stays are generated by second homes.
• 30% of the tourists are excursionists (one day tourists).
• 65% of the tourists are foreigners, 35% are swiss 4
The tourist industry is highly important to maintain population and public services in mountain communities. Costly ski tourism infrastructures have been built in the last 30 years. But the area is now thinking of ways to diversify its activities because, on one hand, aging infrastructures are expansive to replace, and, on another hand, lack of snow in recent years and reckless competition from abroad, most notably from Austria, narrow the trade perspectives.
4 data concerning the all region LIM Chablais PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 15
3.3.3 Test area Nord vaudois
Economic structure (characteristics)
The traditional watchmaking and precision mecanical engineering industries are now considered stable but there remains a few uncertainties about it’s ability to adapt to changes.
In the Yverdon district, activities in the tertiary sector have greatly developed in the last few years. Specialized school of higher teaching (HES) as well as health and social activities should keep up their parts in the regional income. 5
Here is an overview of the economic activities in each district:
• District Grandson : health and social care, business, transport and telecommunication. Watchmaking and precision mecanical engineering, once highlights of Ste Croix have lost many jobs in the last 10 years.
• District Orbe : business (wood,....), services, SME
• District Yverdon: business (scientific parc), health and social care, formation, transport and telecommunication. Yverdon has a bigger unemployment rate than the other municipalities. Unemployement by young people (problem to find their first job) is increasing.
Commuting (within and out of the area)
Most Nord vaudois inhabitants work in cities like Yverdon or Lausanne. 45% of the Grandson and Orbe districts population leaves the area to go to work. That rate is less in the district of Yverdon.
Agriculture
Grandson and Orbe districts have important agricultural and industrial sectors on a cantonal and national comparison. The primary sector is in some ways specialized in flatland farming mostly with modern and big farms, growing crops, vegetables, and wine making, and should easely keep up its activities, where as the Jura foothills mixed economy farms are bound to disappear.
5 source: analysis of the swiss bank Credit suisse PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 16
Tourism
The region has only three tourist communes (Ste-Croix, Mauborget, Bullet), with a small number of second homes. Around the lake, a few campings are installed and an increase in population is observed during the summer time (at Yvonand for example).
Tourism in the region is marked by excursionists (one day tourist) sleeping in campings or second homes. Tourism constitutes 7,5% of the GDP for the districts of Yverdon and Grandson (compared to 5,2 % for all the Jura region). 30% of the tourists are foreigners, 70% are swiss.
Here is a small overview of the possibilities in tourism:
• Jura : winter sport (cross country skiing) and trekking in the summertime
• Romainmôtier and Grandson: cultural tourism
• Yverdon: thermal and business tourism
• Vallorbe: TGV station, connection with France.
3.3.4 Test area Obersimmental-Saanenland
Economic structure (characteristics)
The economic structure of the region OSSA is characterised by tourism, agriculture and forestry and dependent branches (building industry, small trade, wood processing). Only in the most important tourist centers (Gstaad-Saanen, Zweisimmen and Lenk) the economic structure is wider. That’s why labour forces in other (industrial) branches and particularly with a higher graduation level will not stay in or have to leave the region (problem of partial brain drain). Nevertheless, unemployment is not a problem, because people who don’t find a job are moving in the bigger agglomerations. This is similar for most of the seasonal employees in tourism (skitourism, hotels) which stay only during the tourist season in the region.
Between the two districts Saanenland and Obersimmental it exist wide economic differences. In 2001 the social income per inhabitant averages about 40'000 Euro in the „tourist engine“ Saanenland and 18'000 Euro in Obersimmental (average in the canton Berne about 27'000 Euro, in Switzerland 32'000 Euro). It’s evident that it‘s not easy to handle these disparities and to find solutions (e.g. for public infrastructures) with which every part of the region is satisfied.
Commuting (within and out of the area)
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 17
The commuter quote is one of the lowest of the whole canton Berne (going to: 4,8%, going away: 6,4%) because distances to the cities are too big to commute.
Within the region, there are many commuters to Saanen-Gstaad, because the price level for residentials (e.g. rents, daily needs) is in the small municipalities around Gstaad much deeper as in Gstaad itself.
Agriculture
Typical for Swiss mountain regions, the agriculture in OSSA is based on breeding and milk/cheese production. 35% of the cultivated land are alps, 11% cultivation and pasture land, 30% forests. The maintenance of agriculture is important for the beauty of the landscape and tourism, but it becomes more and more problematic. Between 1985 and 2000, the region lost 27% of the farms and this trend goes on. The farms have only a chance if they can grow or if they can earn a second income (e.g. in tourism or in public administration).
Tourism
For the whole region the economic role of tourism is very important. Totally between 60 and 70% of the regional GNP might be induced by tourism (directly induced added value as well as indirectly induced in other branches like building industry or agriculture). Winter tourism is more important than that of summer, but normally, touristic infrastructures are also in the summer season rather well used (exception: cable ways with 90% winter, 10% sommer).
Saanenland: The destination Gstaad - Saanenland is one of the 12 most important of Switzerland. An important moment for the tourism in Saanenland was the construction of the train Montreux-Oberland Bahn and the first big hotels (e.g. Palace hotel) at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, the destination has built up an image of luxury, jet set and exlusiveness. This story of success is based on a carefully and constant balancing between the needs of the guests and the interests of native population. In the last years, the (often not namely known) wealthy guests of Gstaad have payed a lot for the public and the touristic infrastructure of the destination (e.g. the hospital, the congress centre or some cable ways).
Obersimmental: In comparison with Gstaad, the tourism of Lenk, Zweisimmen and the rest of Obersimmental is more geared to the domestic market (families from Switzerland). There are two rather well equiped ski areas (with the possibility of artificial snow-making), some middle- class hotels and a plenty of second homes / appartements.
Some negative effects of the very big dependency from tourism are:
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 18
- Sensitivity to changes in international economy and to unfavourable exchange rate for Swiss francs - increasing needs of investment and problems to refinance the (touristic) infrastructures (unfavourable ration between turnover and investments due to inter alia seasonal fluctuations) - temporary bad used infrastructure - building boom for second homes / appartements, which (and other touristic infrastructure) can damage the cultural and ecological heritage - Problems within the winter tourism: lack of snow in nearly all ski areas of the test area (climatic change!), weakening demand for skisport especially in Switzerland.
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 19
4 The Public services in the test areas : Description, evaluation, perspectives
4.1 Methodology
The Team Western Switzerland used the following methods to get the results of WP5 :
Interviews of local representatives (mayors of municipalities)
Expert interviews (in each domain of public service)
Literature analysis
Two rounds of interviews have been organised:
(1) interviews with representatives of the municipalities and of regional organisation („generalists“). 10 interviews have been done for the region OSSA, 6 for the Nord vaudois and 8 for the Chablais vaudois.
The first round was face to face interviews, with a questionnary about the situation and the perspectives in public services in the region.
(2) interviews with experts in special domains of public services. 15 for the region OSSA; 3 for the Nord vaudois and 3 for the Chablais vaudois.
This second round was also face to face interviews (except for OSSA, where it was a workshop regrouping a few people at the time).
After the first round, the project team determined which themes / domains of public services should be in focus for further analyses. Decision criteria were, if (1) the project team needs more informations about the topic (2) a topic is a problem / could became a problem in the test area (3) the topic could be interesting for work package 7 (development of pilote projects) and (4) there exist possibilities to change something at the local and regional levels and the discussion within the region is not blocked
Following domains were choosen in the three test areas :
• OSSA : public transports, education (schools) and care for elderly were chosen
• Nord vaudois : public transports, education (kindergartens, child care)
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 20
• Chablais vaudois : public transports, education (kindergartens, child care esp.), helath (lack of familiy physicians)
The two other domains, „telecommunications“ and „every day needs“, were not discussed in depth with experts.
The team Western Switzerland therefore did not make SME interviews and not directly private users interviews. The private users questionnaire has been discussed during the face to face interviews with local representatives.
In conclusion, the chapters below reflect the opinion of local representatives and experts in the domains.
4.2 Test area Chablais vaudois
4.2.1 Private and public transport
Roads / private transport
Generally, the road network and public transportation system are fairly good all over Switzerland. Valleys are well connected and apart from the cantons Wallis and Graubunden, one can reach a major city in an hour drive.
With one motorway and numerous highways, the lowland of the Chablais region has an efficient road network. On the contrary, one only road, and seriously of need for improvment, from Aigle to Le Sepey, leads to most of the Chablais mountain region. This road is not up to actual standards anymore to allow runs of 40 tons trucks. Emergency roadworks are underway and cause daily slowdowns and line ups along that section.
In winter, this same road leading to and from major ski resorts is congested. Line ups hamper the traffic all the way down to the motorway entrance.
A scattered pattern of settlement allows for the mountain communities to have the care of a wide range of local roads. Road improvment and snow clearing are heavy burden for these villages finances.
Railways / connections outwards
With plenty of busses and trains, the public transport network is as good in the lowlands as in the mountains. Four mountain railroads built in the early 20 th century, carry mainly tourists and schoolkids :
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 21
- Aigle-Leysin
- Aigle-Sépey-les Diablerets
- Bex-Villars-Bretayes
- Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champéry (this line is only partly on the test area territory)
But these lines carry few full fare paying passengers and are not profitable. For either one of them (except the Aigle-Leysin), the journey is much longer by train than by car. Even if the number of full fare paying passengers would grow two folds, the Aigle-Sépey-Diablerets couldn’t be profitable. Up to this day, the federal government (confederation) supports financially these mountain railroads. However, in a near future a federal project to reform railroad policies plans to reduce that support and thus put at stake the very survival of these lines. This new policy meant to get the cantons to take over. But caught in a financial dire straight, the canton de Vaud has no mean to achieve that end.
Eventually, solutions have been planned and tried. Freight transport is costly on these lines because of a transfer from standard railroad tracks in Aigle to narrow tracks on mountain lines, then on to trucks again.
Promotional gimmicks, like combined tickets train fare and daily ski pass, or bicycle and train fare, or late ride home for youths, etc. didn’t fill expectations but got a trickle more passengers on board. Experts say, only a general change of mentality regarding public and private transportation could overturn the situation. In the region Chablais vaudois, the users of private cars incresased by 20% since 1980, whereas the users of trains increased by 1%.
In the commune of Les Ormonts, test runs are on the way with garbage removal and transport by train to the treatment plants. But experts also say that the regional trains future can only stand with financial support from both canton and Confederation.
4.2.2 Public administration : social services (social care/health care/ elderly), police
Health care
In the plain area, the situation is satisfactory. There is an hospital in Aigle and one in Monthey, a social center in Aigle and many doctors in the plain area. In 2012 a new hospital will be build for the region Chablais and the area of Montreux.
In the mountainous area, there is at least one doctor in each municipality. But aging physicians nearing retirement have hard time to find younger ones to take over. Mountain villages need general practitioners, with extended knowledges in traumatology, pediatrics,
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 22 and emergency health care. Country physicians also have to be available days and nights and be settled in the village.
The shortage of country doctors is a Switzerland’s wide problem. Students in medecine are mostly trained to become specialists. They are not exposed to established general practices. Once a trained physiscian has a family, it is very hard to convince wife and kids to abandon the confortable city life and fixed working hours to settle in a lonely mountain village with a husband always on the road to serve others.
Some solutions are being tested :
• For medical students, a general practitioner training was created, completed with real life experiment as assistant to an established physician.
• At communities level, attractive benefits are planned like low rent of necessary premises.
• An expert recommends to entice physicians to have group practices allowing to work in shifts.
• In tourist resorts, a better co-ordination is needed between the emergency calls to helicopters and the local physician available. As soon as an accident happens on a ski run, ski resort operatives choose to call an helicopter to fly the injured skier on an expensive journey to a far away city hospital instead of bringing the person to the village practitioner. Foreign tourists seldom have insurances to cover such risks. These luxurious and unwanted actions give a bad image to the regional tourism.
Emergency service
New emergency procedures have been based in Aigle emergency vehicles and teams. Leysin, Le Sépey, and Les Diablerets village resorts, are out of reach for the 20 minutes intervention required time. Local authorities and a few physicians have thus set up a makeshift intervention unit completed with a basically equipped vehicle and a medic in attendance.
Social services/elderly
The social services have been centralized, so distances to the service have increased.
But there is, in the canton Vaud, a very good network of home nurseries. The care of elderly is very good organized.
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 23
Police, advisory
These themes have not been precisely explored in the two test areas Chablais vaudois and Nord vaudois regions. Police forces are being centralized for the entire canton Vaud and most notably a major structural reform is on the way (police 2000). Land administration is also on the way to reforms with the aim to get smaller communities of less than 100 inhabitants to merge with others. Elected local authorities have hard time to get new people into local politics. On top of this, a new division of constituency at district level with merger will reduce the number of district administrations and alter accesses to proximity services.
4.2.3 Education : kindergartens and primary schools, professional and personal training
Kindergardens and primary schools
Primary schools : good offer, even in mountain regions. In the last years, a project of centralization of the schools in the plain area failed because of high popular resistance. The school is a very important element of the regional idendity and of the life of the village.
Out of family day care
Generally day care policies should include structures like kindergarden, stop and play, day care centers, daily mums, kids care after school and at lunch time.
Experts notice that facilities are lacking in everyone of these sectors.
A regional study 1 shows that the district has many Stop and play and kindergarden facilities easely set up with a small budget, a network of daily mums, 5 day care center adding up 85 places, and 12 places in the school children welcome unit in Aigle. Ideally, facilities should be added in every subregion for every age group.
• From 2 months to 6 years old : kindergarden, daily mums, day care center and stop and play.
• From 4 to 12 years old : early chidhood welcome unit (UAPE), daily mums, « pedibus » (footbus : a way to walk to school in supervised group of kids).
Since that study, the situation has improved. Professional and volunteer structures have been set, like informal daily mums, etc.
1 Espace Prévention Aigle : „étude sur les besoins en accueil extra-scolaire“, 2003 PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 24
Nevertheless, needs in the field of early childhood are differently perceived depending on who one can talk to. Mayors (Syndics) of communities tend to be less sensible to the subject, considering that’s of private concern. Expert in the social field, on the contrary, have to answer demands from working parents in the hotel industry or sale businesses. Differences are obvious between feminine and masculine answers to the problem. For Municipalities, these structures are expansive. They have to comply with strict regulations on hygien, training, security, etc. Rules are set at the cantonal level by the youth protection services.
Opportunities for professional and personal training
Lack of apprenticeship possibilities in the region. Lack of first jobs opportunities for young people of the region. They have to leave the region (brain drain).
4.2.4 Telecommunication : telephony, internet, Tv and radio
Television and radio
TV network deficient for les Diablerets, Leysin and Gryon.
A privatized former governement agency enjoying a still dominant position in telecommunications, Swisscom, dismantled a regional antenna with the effect that Les Ormonts, Gryon, and Leysin inhabitants can get only 2 to 3 TV channels since then. Parabolic satellite antennas on every home is the only alternative with related cost to the people finances and the environnment.
Internet and telephony
Local authorities think these equipement sufficient.
4.2.5 Every day needs : food and non food items, fuel, postal services
Proximity services like food stores, restaurants, backeries and post offices have been closed in many villages for the last 10 years (see figure page 31). To commuters with private cars or the ones going to work in the lowlands, the shutting down of grocery stores or post offices is no problem. On the other hand, senior citizens need to organize. Community solidarity and volunteer help then mean a lot.
The actual situation in every day needs is as follow :
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 25
- Food stores : satisfactory situation in touristic resort villages. Problems for peripherically situated villages as Ollon taking the full hit of commercial center competition.
- Cafés and restaurants : Projects to combine a grocery store with a restaurant such as La Forclaz mountain village are hard to comme by even with the help of local authorities. In that case, authorities and the local society of economic development have helped to plan it, but the owner finally abandonned the experiment.
- Post offices : some have closed down and alternative services have been proposed.
- Pharmacies : established mainly in the lowlands or in touristic resort villages, inhabitants from other places have to make the move.
4.2.6 Resumee test area Chablais vaudois
Fig. 5 Resumee Chablais vaudois
(Source: PUSEMOR W-CH; Expert-Interviews summer 2005)
Domain of public service Current situation Perspectives
Chablais vaudois (opportunities / threats)
Good network Broader offer if railway doesn’t Bus services exist anymore
Good network but the regional Political decision (automn 2005) Railway services lines are not profitable if financial assistance of the state still available
Transport Transport Bad for the mountain region The road will be repaired
Quality of roads High costs to maintain standards
More and more centralisation More cooperation between the Local administration (small) municipalities New cutting of the districts
Other public More and more centralisation More cooperation between the administration (small) municipalities
Public administration administration Public Police station More and more centralisation Reform of the police
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 26
Good offer No succession for family doctors Physicians - general more group pratices
Physician - specialists Good offer No changes
Satisfactory New hospital in 2012 Hospitals / health care Requirement in more elderly centres homes
Mobile nursing Very satisfactory No changes / reductions due to increasing costs of health service and less volunteers Health care / care for elderly careforelderly care/ Health Not enough places, upgrading Financing of the infrastructures Home for the elderly (quantity and quality)
Not satisfactory. Lack of Expansion / delays due to public Kindergarten / child infrastructures beetween 2 finances and less volunteers care service months and 12 years old
Primary school Satisfactory Centralisation of schools/ schools
culture Satisfactory with continuous schedules / Secondary school expansion of structures for after (lower level)
Child care / education / / education care/ Child schooltime (if finances available)
Upper second. school Satisfactory No changes (gymnasium)
Satisfactory. The problem is ? the lack of apprenticeship Professional and possibilities and first jobs personal training opportunities for young people.
Meeting room / Satisfactory and underused finances for modernisation / facilities for events out of the touristic season obsolescence of infrastructure Child care / education / culture / education care/ Child satisfactory Political decision : liberalisation Telephony of the market
Ok now but was not Political decision : financial Tv and radio satisfactory in the mountain support of the regional channels area since begining 2004
Telecommunication Telecommunication Internet satisfactory No changes
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 27
Not satisfactory for people Undamped concentration and Grocery without a driver licence disappearance of the last shops (elderly) in some smaller villages /
High development in the plain Stop of development because of Supermarket area lack of customers Every day needs needs dayEvery Post / office Restructuration is done Second phase of restructuring
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 28
4.3 Test area Nord Vaudois
4.3.1 Private and public transport
Roads / private transport
The road network is good. It has been improved in the last years. Now the connection to the national network is very good and the Nord vaudois has an easy access to Lausanne and the Lake of Geneva basin.
The Nord vaudois has 83 communes and for the many of these small communities, the cost of local road improvment is high.
Railways / connections outwards
Yverdon is connected to every big cities around. The connection to Bern (capital of Switzerland) is worse with the new train schedule.
From Yverdon, the private outfit of regional public transport Travys runs the Yverdon-Ste- Croix railroad. It faces the same problems as the Chablais vaudois mountain railroads. It is not profitable. However, the Yverdon-Ste-Croix tracks and rolling stock have been recently modernized and won’t need big investments for another 20 years.
On local railroad lines where stations have been set outside of villages and towns, trains have been replaced by bus services running right through village centers. In the country side, access to most villages is only possible by busses, either regularly scheduled line like Carpostal or Publicar (an call bus service, s. best practice).
Since the Lausanne-Paris TGV line stops in Vallorbe, the region is also well connected to France.
4.3.2 Health and social services (social care/health care/ elderly)
The region is well equipped with hospitals and health services at home.
In Ste-Croix, a community health and care center has recently been set up to offer the Jura vaudois highland‘s inhabitants health services as good as in the plain region (s. best practice Centre de soins et de santé communautaire).
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 29
4.3.3 Education : kindergartens and primary schools, professional and personal training
Primary schools
Regrouping of schools has been achieved. The same was done with sports and cultural associations. These regroupings have built a feeling of belonging to the region. On another hand it generates more and more taxi-mums.
Kindergartens
A study of the needs of the families of Ste-Croix 1 shows that there is a lack in infrastructures for children. The population wants more kindergartens for children between 6 months and 2 years old and more flexibles hours for the other existing institutions.
In the others parts of the Nord vaudois, the mayors of municipalities couldn’t mention a study but they think that the situation could be better.
Opportunities for professional and personal training
Yverdon has a good network of schooling at all levels, specialized higher school of learning (HES), etc. Neuchâtel and Lausanne universities are now close by.
4.3.4 Telecommunication : telephony, internet, Tv and radio
The network is fine. One area (around the village of Donneloye) has no cable TV.
Net Connection possibilities seem good but we lack more precise informations.
4.3.5 Every day needs : food and non food items, fuel, postal services
The next figure shows that there have been many losses in the establishments offering a proximity service (food shops, restaurants, backeries and post offices). This study of the swiss federal statistics office considers the evolution between 1995 and 2001. Here we show the data for our three test areas. (Note please that Chablais contains also the Chablais valaisan, which is not part of PUSEMOR project).
1 Espace Prévention Yverdon : „études sur besoins des familles de Ste-Croix“ 2003 PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 30
Fig. 6 Evolution in the number of establishments in the domain of every day needs
(Source: swiss federal statistics office, „étude sur les services à la population“, 2005)
Every day needs OSSA Nord Chablais Switzerland Vaudois
Number of food shops 2001 (1995) 15 (22) 58 (71) 77 (76) 5433 (5853)
Evolution in% between 1995 and 2001 -31.82 -18.31 1.32 -7.18
Number of food shops for 1000 inhabitants in 2001 0.89 0.96 1.09 0.75
Number of restaurants 1 in 2001 (1995) 122 (125) 192 (198) 330 (372) 23408 (23670)
Evolution in % between 1995 and 2001 -2.4 -3.0 -11.3 -1.1
Number of restaurants for 1000 inhabitants 2001 7.25 3.17 4.66 3.21
Number of backeries 2001 (1995) 16 (20) 42 (52) 44 (51) 3535 (3955)
Evolution in % between 1995 and 2001 -20.0 -19.2 -13.7 -10.6
Number of backeries for 1000 inhabitants 2001 0.95 0.69 0.62 0.48
Number of post offices 2004 (2001) 9 (12) 31 (40) 32 (40)
Evolution in % between 2001 and 2004 -25.0 -22.5 -20.0
Food stores
Short of profit, many village stores have shut down. Local authorities are trying various solutions like putting together different services. As exemple, combine a grocery store with a cafeteria or with a post office, or create multi-function centers with multi-purpose auditorium, meeting-hall, grocery store, along with the Townhall and community offices as the Ballaigues project mentionned in best practice.
Postal services
The Nord vaudois lost 9 post offices between 1995 and 2001. The closing down of some postal offices has been made up to with home services. The home service is well appreciated, especially from the elderly. The first phase of restructuring of the Swiss Post achieved at the end of 2005 and the next phase will begin soon. Mayors of municipalities are afraid of more closing.
1 restaurants regroup tea-rooms, hotels, restaurants, snack-bars. PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 31
4.3.6 Resumee test area Nord Vaudois
Fig. 7 Resumee Nord vaudois
(Source: PUSEMOR W-CH; Expert-Interviews summer 2005)
Domain of public service Current situation Perspectives
Nord vaudois (opportunities / threats)
Bus services Good network No changes
Publicar (s. best practices)
Railway services Good network but the regional Political decision (automn 2005) line is not profitable if financial assistance of the state
Transport Transport still available
Quality of roads Satisfactory No changes
Local administration More and more centralisation More cooperation between the (small) municipalities
New cutting (reorganization) of the districts
Other public More and more centralisation More cooperation between the administration (small) municipalities
Public admini-stration admini-stration Public Police station More and more centralisation Reform of the police
Physicians - general Good offer No changes
Physician - specialists Good offer No changes
Hospitals / health care Satisfactory Requirement in more elderly
centres (s best practices in Ste-Croix) homes
Mobile nursing Very satisfactory No changes / reductions due to increasing costs of health service and less volunteers Health care / care for elderly careforelderly care/ Health Kindergarten / child Lack of infrastructures and Expansion / delays due to public care service need of more flexible finances and less volunteers schedule
Primary school Satisfactory New school modells (eg. with Child care / care/ Child continuous schedule) education / culture / education
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 32
Secondary school Satisfactory (lower level)
Upper second. School Satisfactory No changes (vocat. School)
Upper second. School Satisfactory (gymnasium)
Professional and Satisfactory. The problem is ?
personal training the lack of apprenticeship possibilities and first jobs opportunities for young people.
Meeting room / Not satisfactory. Lack of Finances for modernisation / facilities for events meeting rooms or sport obsolescence of infrastructure rooms.
Telephony Satisfactory Political decision on federal level liberalisation of the market
Tv and radio Satisfactory Political decision on federal level: financial support of the regional channels
Telecommunication Telecommunication Internet Satisfactory New technologies
Food stores / High development around the Undamped concentration and Supermarket cities disappearance of the last shops
Not satisfactory for people in some smaller villages / without a car (elderly) development of multifunction center (s. best practice Ballaigues and Le P’tit Mag) Every day needs needs dayEvery Post / Post offices Restructuration has be done New phase of restructuring
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 33
4.4 Test area Obersimmental – Saanenland
4.4.1 Overview
In the region Obersimmental-Saanenland (OSSA), two rounds of interviews have been organised: (1) about 10 interviews with representatives of the municipalities and of regional organisations („generalists“) and (2) interviews with about 15 experts in special domains of public services.
For the second round of (group) interviews an important topic was the elaboration of new ideas and political recommendations, so that workpackage 7 can directly follow the analyses.
In distinction to other regional teams we have forborne to make a representative survey. Due to this, the results in the figures 7 and following are estimations by experts and analyses of literature.
Fig. 8 Accessibility of public services in the region OSSA
(Source: PUSEMOR W-CH; Expert-Interviews summer 2005)
Domain of public service Part of population with accessibility within 15 minutes...
on foot by public by car transport Bus stop 65% 100%
port 40% 90% Trans- Railway station
Local administration (municipal 25% 60% 90% office) Public stration Admini- Police station 15% 40% 75%
Physicians – general 40% 65% 90%
Physician – specialists 25% 45% 80%
Hospital 15% 40% 75%
elderly elderly Pharmacy 20% 40% 80%
30% 60% 90% Health care / care for Health /care care Home for the elderly
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 34
Domain of public service Part of population with accessibility within 15 minutes...
on foot by public by car transport Kindergarten / child care services 65% 75% 95%
Educational facilities – elementary 65% 75% 95%
Library 50% 65% 90% culture education / / education Child care / care/ Child Meeting room / facilities for events 65% 75% 95%
Grocery 65% 75% 95%
Supermarket 25% 50% 85%
Post / office 40% 65% 90%
Bank / cash dispenser 40% 65% 90%
Gas station 95%
Every day needs needs dayEvery Personal services (hairdresser, 50% 60% 90% barber,..)
4.4.2 Private and public transport
Roads / private transport
The road network has continuously been improved during the last decades, on the level of national / regional roads as well as on the level of local roads (link-up roads for agriculture and forestry). Currently, the national road through the valley of Simmental (the most important access road for the region) is beeing upgraded.
But more and more, financial problems of all public bodies (confederation, canton, municipalities) cause problems with funding the further expansion of the regional network. In the future, the goal will be to upgrade especially important roads and to ensure the quality and the safety of the rest of the network. To guarantee this, the confederation and the canton have to reorganise their policy of roadmaking (political discussion is in progress).
Railways / connections outwards
The region is rather well accessible by the two railway lines (Bern – Spiez -) Boltigen – Zweisimmen and (Lausanne – Montreux -) Saanen – Zweisimmen – Lenk. The lines have to be run separately because the first line has standard gage and the second 1 meter gage.
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 35
With the new national schedule „Bahn 2000“, the timetable for the connections from OSSA to the national centres became worse and the public transports less attractive for commuters (students, employees, but also tourists). During the next years and with the opening of the new international line through the Lötschberg (Basel – Berne – Valais – Domodossola – Milano) these problems should be at least mitigated. In PUSEMOR project, some ideas in this direction could be stressed (s. also best practice „SpediBEO“).
Fig. 9 Assessment of services in the domain of transports
(Source: PUSEMOR W-CH; Expert-Interviews summer 2005)
Domain accessibility quality Development since 5 years
Railway services Satisfactory* dissatisfactory Worse now (dissatisfactory)** (satisfactory) (no changes)
Bus services satisfactory satisfactory No changes (very satisfactory) (better now) (worse now)
Quality of roads --- satisfactory Better now (dissatisfactory) *** (no changes )
* majority of private users ** (...) important minority of private users *** (.. in italics ..) assessment by SME if deviant from private users
4.4.3 Local and regional public administration incl. Police
In Switzerland, public administration is rather decentrally organised and the municipalities (about 2‘750) have many competences – particularly in politics concerning public services (e.g. education, social care, care for elderly, infrastructures). More or less every municipality has ist own municipal office with at least two employees in common and financial administration. E.g. Saanen as a rather big mountain municipality with 7‘500 inhabitants has about 10 employees in the municipal office (technic personal included, but without teachers).
During the last decades, the municipal offices have unterwent a fast change due to broad implementation of telecommunications. Today, they are well networked with other municipal offices as well as with regional and cantonal administrations and more and more, the customers can also use the possibilities of new ICT („virtual counter“). In average, the quality of local public administration in OSSA is considered as good.
Due to historical reasons, the canton Berne has 26 rather small districts. Since about 5 years a project to reform these structures is running with the aim to reduce the number of districts to 8 or perhaps 12. Due to this, the future of the districts is uncertain and the concentration of
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 36 public administration on the cantonal level has already begun (e.g. loss of district court and land registry). For population in decentralised mountain areas this process stokes the fears of a loss of accessibility and quality. Until now, the prefects of the districts have had an important role as interface between population and municipalities on one side and cantonal and national authorities on the other side. It is clear that new ICT has led new scopes in this domain too, but there still exist significant parts of population which are not able to use these new possibilities – and problems which can not be solved via Internet. And last but not least, the centralisation of administration is also a loss of oftentimes high qualified workstations in the tertiary sector.
Fig. 10 Assessment of services in the domain of public administration
(Source: PUSEMOR W-CH; Expert-Interviews summer 2005)
Domain accessibility quality Development since 5 years
Municipal office satisfactory* satisfactory better now (very satisfactory)** (no changes)
Public admini- dissatisfactory satisfactory worse now stration district (very dissatisfactory)*** (dissatisfactory)
Police / satisfactory satisfactory No changes police station (dissatisfactory) (dissatisfactory) (worse now)
* majority of private users ** (...) important minority of private users *** (.. in italics ..) assessment by SME if deviant from private users
4.4.4 Health care / care for elderly
Health care (hospitals, specialists, general practioners, pharmacies)
OSSA (still) have two hospitals, one in Saanen (district Saanenland) and one in Zweisimmen (district Obersimmental) and the provision with hospitals as well as with other health services, incl. physicians, can be assessed as good.
During the last years, some wealthy guests of Gstaad-Saanen have paid a lot to improve and to optimise the infrastructure of Saanen. But it is more and more clear for experts in health care as well as for politicians that two hospitals in a region with about 16‘000 inhabitants (without tourists) are very (too) expensive and a hard controversy has arisen about the question, if and which hospital should be closed. At this time, it seems that the two hospitals shall be run by one organisational structure to reduce costs of administration and duplications in the offer.
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 37
Unlike some other rural areas, the problem of succession for general practioners („family doctors“) seems (still) not be actual in OSSA and the provision of the population is also guaranteed in the small rural municipalities which haven’t their own doctor. The main two reasons with that may be that the tourist market in the region is economically interesting for physicians and the quality of life is rather high in the region.
Care for elderly (home for elderly, mobile service Spitex, other services)
Special appartements for elderly and nursing homes exist in nearly every municipality in OSSA as well as other services like mobile nursing „Spitex“ or special opportunities for sports or cultural / social events for elderly people. The quality of these services is assessed as good or very good, last but not least because the service „Spitex“ is a good mix of a private neighbourhood help (direct, near, flexible with an important social element) and a very professional service (nursing by qualified staff, close collaboration with physicians and nursing homes).
Demografic change and increase of elderly population is also in OSSA a fact (even more than in other parts of Switzerland) and the municipalities are looking for new possibilities to ensure the adequate care for elderly people (s. also best practice „Altersleitbild / mission statement for regional care for elderly“).
Fig. 11 Assessment of services in the domain of health care / care for elderly
(Source: PUSEMOR W-CH; Expert-Interviews summer 2005)
Domain accessibility quality Development since 5 years
Physicians general satisfactory satisfactory no changes
Physicians specialists satisfactory satisfactory no changes
Hospitals / health care very satisfactory* satisfactory no changes centres (satisfactory)** (very satisfactory)
Pharmacy satisfactory satisfactory no changes
Mobile nursing very satisfactory very satisfactory better now (satisfactory)
Other mobile services very satisfactory* very satisfactory better now for the elderly (satisfactory)**
Homes for the elderly dissatisfactory satisfactory no changes (satisfactory) (better now)
* majority ** (...) important minority
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 38
4.4.5 Education: kindergartens and primary schools, professional and personal training
Elementary school / Kindergarten / child care
Due to decentralized settlement the municipalities oftentimes have to run more than one elementary school (e.g. Saanen: 8 primary schools, Boltigen: 3 primary schools). The lower level of secondary school (grades 7 – 9) is more concentrated with four schools in Saanen, Boltigen, Zweisimmen and Lenk.
As the number of children / scholars is diminishing, particularly in Obersimmental (demografic change!) some locations of elementary and secondary schools are at risk so among others the two secondary schools in Boltigen and Lenk. This would implicate a loss of locational quality for families as well as less social contacts for population, a loss of high qualified jobs and less tax revenues for the municipalities with school locations.
The provision with Kindergarten and child care facilities like crèches has been improved during the last years. Today all children have the opportunity of going during two years in the Kindergarten and many facilities for child care out of families have emerged – but the density of such services is much lower than in agglomerations, because a traditional task sharing between woman (at home) and man (at work) is rather widespread.
Secondary school upper level (vocational schools, gymnasium, others)
Some years ago, the vocational school for handicraft and trade in Zweisimmen was closed. This was an incisive moment for the population as well as for local economy of the test area, in particular because it was also in a time when jobs in public companies (army, military aerodrome) have been cut. Today, a big part of apprentices have to leave the region for their vocational school.
On the other side, in Saanen, it still exists the vocational school for commerce and tourist professions. This school is also very active in the domain of vocational and personal training for adults and has a good reputation. Since two years the scholars of the region have the possibility to make the gymnasium (grammar school and abitur) in Saanen. This new offer shall increase the quota of scholars with abitur in the region and it seems to be successful (s. best practice „gymnasialer Lehrgang / university entrance diploma Saanen“).
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Furthermore, scholars have the possibility to visit a 10 th (voluntary) grade of school in Zweisimmen. This is especially important for scholars which have problems to find an apprenticeship training position in the region. The supply of training positions is a bit partial, orientated on tourism, commerce, agriculture and small handicrafts particularly in building industry (carpenters, bricklayers, mechanics). There is a lack of about 15 training positions per year in the commerce and other tertiary branches, last but not least because the conditions for small and medium enterprises to offer apprenticeship training positions have become higher and higher. In the PUSEMOR project some ideas to solve this problem could be stressed.
Professional and personal training (a. o. „Volkshochschulen“)
The possibilities for personal training in OSSA are rather wide but also rather usual. Gaps exist in particular in the specific domains vocational training / new technologies, for which people have to go to Thun or Berne.
For these important and appreciated activities, the organisers of courses can take profit from public funding. As the canton Berne shortened ist benefits, the municipalities made a contract and now they pay more on their part. At the same time, the different organisations offering courses established the „Erwachsenenbildung Obersimmental / Saanenland“ (EOS), a regional cooperation to improve the coordination and to develop the offers. This reorganisation implicated a reneval and vitalisation of the whole domain – a process which shall be continued during the next years. The marketing for the existing offers in the region as well as outside of it will have a special importance. Perhaps this topic will also be taken up in work package 7 of PUSEMOR project (ideas for a „Bildungslandschaft / knowledge society OSSA“).
Fig. 12 Assessment of services in the domain of child care / education / training
(Source: PUSEMOR W-CH; Expert-Interviews summer 2005)
Domain accessibility quality Development since 5 years
Kindergarten / child satisfactory satisfactory no changes care service (very satisfactory) (better now)
Primary school satisfactory satisfactory no changes (dissatisfactory)*** (worse now)
Secondary school satisfactory satisfactory no changes (lower level)
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Upper second. School dissatisfactory* satisfactory worse now (vocational school) (satisfactory)** (dissatisfactory)
Upper second. School satisfactory satisfactory Better now (gymnasium) (dissatisfactory)
Professional and very satisfactory satisfactory better now personal training (satisfactory) (no changes) (worse now)
Libraries satisfactory satisfactory no changes
Meeting room / satisfactory satisfactory no changes facilities for events
* majority of private users ** (...) important minority of private users *** (.. in italics ..) assessment by SME if deviant from private users
4.4.6 Telecommunication : telephony, internet, TV and radio
TV and radio
In the centres of Saanen and Zweisimmen, the provision with TV and radio is possible by cable. In the rest of the test area, the provision is organised via satellite (parabolic reflector) or via terrestrial antenna (conventional). In contrast to other regions, the households can receive via conventional antenna only three channels – for a region very closed to the language border this can be a problem.
Telephony (fixnet and mobile net) and internet
In the villages and along the big roads the mobile telephony is operating well, but there are some „wholes“ between. Broadband ISDN and also ADSL are possible in the villages, but it is not very used neither among SME nor among private households. This is not primarily a problem of the accessibility or the quality of the offer, but the customers (still) are not very interested or don’t see the wide possibilities of these new technologies.
Fig. 13 Assessment of services in the domain of telecommunication
(Source: PUSEMOR W-CH; Expert-Interviews summer 2005)
Domain accessibility quality Development since 5 years
Telephony satisfactory satisfactory better now (worse now)
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TV and radio dissatisfactory* dissatisfactory worse now (satisfactory)** (satisfactory) (no changes)
Internet / ICT networks satisfactory satisfactory better now (dissatisfactory) (dissatisfactory)***
* majority of private users ** (...) important minority of private users *** (.. in italics ..) assessment by SME if deviant from private users
4.4.7 Every day needs : food and non food items, fuel, postal services
So far, the provision with every day needs seems not to be a big problem. As in other moutain regions, some post offices and some groceries have been closed. E.g. in Boltigen, thirty years ago there were about 15 bakeries, butcheries and groceries and today there are only three left. For the big majority of the population, this is not a problem, because they are mobile and the offer in the regional centres Saanen, Zweisimmen and Lenk is (still) wide – these villages also have some supermarkets and a wide range of one-line shops for tourists.
Fig.14 Assessment of services in the domain of daily needs
(Source: PUSEMOR W-CH; Expert-Interviews summer 2005)
Domain accessibility quality Development since 5 years
Grocer’s shops satisfactory* satisfactory no change (dissatisfactory)** (worse now)
Supermarket satisfactory satisfactory better now (very satisfactory)
Post office / service satisfactory dissatisfactory worse now (dissatisfactory)*** (satisfactory) (no change)
Bank / cash dispenser satisfactory satisfactory no change (better now)
Gas station satisfactory satisfactory no change
Personal services satisfactory satisfactory No change
* majority of private users ** (...) important minority of private users *** (.. in italics ..) assessment by SME if deviant from private users
PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 42
In spring 2005, a national dealing retail company canceled the contracts with his local partners and for the smaller of them it has been very difficult to find a new solution. This could accelerate the disappearance of some small shops and in some small rural villages in OSSA it must be expected that no grocer’s shop will remain.
Concerning postal services a continuation of structural change is also likely. But in this domain, new solutions are emerging. Key words for this: special collecting / delivery services for households outside of the villages, new combinations of post, tourist office, municipal office, grocer’s shops and/or other shops. Because this domain of public services is not in focus in the test area OSSA we haven’t at the moment more information about it.
4.4.8 Resumee test area OSSA
In most domains, the standard of public services in the test area Obersimmental / Saanenland is rather high and private users (population) as well as small and medium-sized enterprises are more or less satisfied with the actual situation.
But there exist some exceptions to this statement: Domain of public services: In the domains of every day needs (post offices, grocer’s and other shops) and education (primary school and lower secondary level) the structural change is in a rather fast progress and is stoking fears in the whole test area as well as in particularly concerned municipalities (s. below) User groups: For elderly people and other population group which are not very mobile there already exists a problem in the domain of every day needs and the threat seems reasonable that the situation will deteriorate in future. Spatial dimension: The situation in small rural villages and municipalities without tourism (as Boltigen, Gsteig, Lauenen) is worse than in the regional centres Saanen – Gstaad and Lenk. If the small villages are very closed to the centres, this is not a major problem, because the (public) transports are functioning well (e.g. Gsteig and Lauenen). Zweisimmen is in a special situation because some years ago, many jobs in the domain of army (armoury, military aerodrome) were cut and the vocational school was closed. Due to this, the mood is rather bad. In Boltigen, the demographic change and the lack of jobs is causing problems particularly in the domains education / school and care for elderly.
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Temporal dimension: In future, the economic structural change will be a threat for many of the small shops in the domain of daily needs, the demografic change will change the structures in the domain child care / schools and policy for elderly. The diminution of public finances can derogate the quality primarily in the domains public transports, health care and education
The tourism and the tourist centres in the test area are very important not only for the actual (good) situation but also for the future of public services in the test area. Due to the special demand of tourists and the contributions of some wealthy guests the public infrastructure in particular in the district of Saanen, has permanently been modernised and upgraded during the last decades and, today, the whole region can benefit from this. It is and will be pivotal that the „engine“ tourism will not slow down (although the motto of Gstaad is „come up – slow down“). For the near future no equal alternative is in sight.
Fig. 15 Public services in OSSA : problems and perspectives
(Source: PUSEMOR W-CH; Expert-Interviews summer 2005)
Domain of public service Current difficulties / Perspectives challenges (opportunities / threats)
Maintain standards / financing No changes / reductions due to Bus services / new connections in off-hours public finances
Better connections outside / No changes / reductions due to Railway services maintain standard inside public finances Transport Transport Local: maintain standard More priorisation and more Quality of roads regional / national: upgrading disparities within the region
Maintain high standard / ICT More cooperation between the Local administration and new public management (small) municipalities
Other public More and more centralisation New ICT / loss of accessibility administration and distrust
Maintain standards / financing No changes / reductions due to Police station public finances Public admini-stration admini-stration Public Maintain standard more group pratices / no
Physicians – general succession for family doctors
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Physician – Maintain standard more group practices / problem specialists of concentration /
Hospitals / health care Maintain standard / more specialisation / closing of one centres specialisation hospital
Maintain standard No changes / reductions due to Pharmacy price erosion
Maintain (high) standard No changes / reductions due to Mobile nursing increasing costs of health service and less volunteers
Health care / care for elderly careforelderly care/ Health Other mobile services Maintain (high) standard
Not enough places, upgrading Expansion and differentiation / Home for the elderly (quantity and quality) delays due to public finances
Kindergarten / child Maintain standard and Expansion / delays due to public care service prospective upgrading finances and less volunteers
Maintain standard / less New models of schools / Primary school children reductions of schools in small
Secondary school Maintain standard / less villages (lower level) children
Upper second. School Maintain standard / more More regional collaboration / loss (vocat. school) training positions of training positions and schools Child care / education / culture / education care/ Child Upper second. school Consolidation standard / more More interregional collaboration (gymnasium) students
Professional and Consolidation standard / more Upgrading (more collaboration) / personal training vocational training reductions due to public finances
Maintain standard / ICT Expansion / delays due to public Libraries finances and less volunteers
Meeting room / Maintain standard finances for modernisation / facilities for events obsolescence of infrastructure Child care / education / culture / education care/ Child change of structure / provision New combinations of several Grocery in each village private services (local centres) /
Supermarket Maintain standard undamped concentration and disappearance of the last shops Post / office Maintain standard in some smaller villages Bank / cash dispenser Maintain standard
Every day needs needs dayEvery Gas station Maintain standard
Personal services Maintain standard
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5 Best practices in the test area, their specifics and conditions for transferability
The selection and the processing of the best pratices of Team Western Switzerland is in progress. At the moment, 7 examples in several domains of public services are collected. More information about in fig. 15 and in the appendix.
Fig. 16 Seven best practices from Western Switzerland
(Source: PUSEMOR W-CH; Expert-Interviews summer 2005)
Name Domain Locality /region Territor. extent
Multifunction center in Every day needs Municipality of 865 inhabitants Ballaigue Ballaigues
Le P’tit Mag in Corcelles- Every day needs Municipality of 300 habitants sur-Chavornay Corcelles 5 km2
Health, social and elderly Health /social /elderly care Ste-Croix and Ste-Croix about center in Ste-Croix part of the Jura 5'000 inhabitants chain
Electric company of the Electricity/tv/internet/telephony Valley of Joux 3 municipalities
Valley of Joux 6'200 inhabitants
163 km2
Publicar, a bus on request Public transport Nord vaudois Region of about
(but also in other 500 km2 parts of Switzerland)
SpediBeo – logistic chains Transport of goods and Whole Bernese Region of about for tourists, goods and passengers (public and private, Oberland 2'000 km 2 luggages road and rail)
Altersleitbild / mission Care for elderly (nursing home, Districts Two regions of statement for regional home for elderly, mobile nursing, Obersimmental about 300 km 2 health care courses / leisure activities, and Saanenland advisory service)
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6 Conclusion and next steps
6.1 Conclusion on the regional level
What are the problems?
As things stand, public services situation seems quite satisfying in the three surveyed regions, Chablais vaudois, Nord vaudois, and Obersimmental-Saanenland. If some local trade businesses have shut down and services consolidated, the population tries to adapt mainly with the growing use of private cars.
More than the various services accessibility and quality, actual problems are infrastruture financing, the lost of local attractivity in some villages (growth of dormitory town), and the increase of private cars mobility.
On inquiry, mayors and experts fear that actual standards will not stand much longer, thanks to lack of financial means and deliberate policies to liberalize.
In fact, findings show the same worries in the three regions : regional public transportation financing, road network maintenance, and local services losses. Services consolidation in bigger units has been achieved or is being widely planned in public management, schools, health care, parishes, post offices, etc.
Local authorities haven’t say much on two other PUSEMOR themes such as out of school daycare and telecommunications. It’s often a minor concern for rural communities.
Where are the problems ?
Mountain communities and the ones lacking a significative economy such as tourism are suffering the most from the loss of local services. Nevertheless, if located next to a more urban or touristic center it could take advantage from this neighboring community.
For whom is it a problem?
People with no car, or those for whom public transportation schedules won’t fit, find the present situation a real problem. They are mainly senior citizens or families with chidren and teenagers. To lessen part of the problem, home services such as postal door services or home health care, or again, on call services such as Publicar, have been set up. But to face upcoming needs like adapted schedules for commuters, working mothers, population ageing, etc. these services are too few and not always adapted.
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What are the challenges for the next 10 years?
Considering the situation in the test areas in 2005, we can say, that the main challenges for the next years will be :
1) to find a solution for financing the local and regional infrastructures of service public
2) to adapt the service public to the new needs : more old people, more commuters, more working mothers
3) to more profit from the new technologies
4) to deal with existing small infrastructures and units and to find new solutions for more collaborating
Therefore, the three regions, Chablais vaudois, Nord vaudois and Obersimmental Saanenland need efficient solutions and more collaborations between municipalities and regions.
6.2 Next steps on transnational level
This report is one of totally 9 regional intermediate reports, which were finished by all regional partners of PUSEMOR project by the beginning of year 2006. The results, compiled in these reports, provide a sound basis for the further proceeding in the transnational project.
Two workpackages were started in January 2006 and will run simultaneously. The Workpackage 6 “Transnational comparison”, led by PV Südlicher Oberrhein assisted by BL Tirol, aims - based on the findings of the regional studies - to answer the following questions:
• What are similarities and differences between the situation of public services in the different regions / countries?
• Which are the needs and expectations of the user groups (population and SME)?
• What are the characteristics of “best practices”?
• Which are the framework conditions for transfer and implementation of best practices?
• Which are new strategies for policies of spatial development?
The results of workpackage 6 shall be edited in a “Transnational intermediate Report” and in a "Collection of best practices". Both papers shall be finished by summer 2006.
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The results of present report will further serve as an input for the Workpackage 7 i.e. "The elaboration and development of innovative and effective new strategies and pilot projects to improve the provision of the participating mountain areas with public services". The workpackage will be led by BL Carinthia assisted by GAL Appennino Genovese.
The following outputs are expected:
• One to three implementation-ready pilot projects per participating region, which have to be both of transnational interest (innovative, exemplary) and well integrated into regional development strategy.
• Strategic recommendations for developing new projects in other mountain regions.
More and updated information about the proceedings can be found at www.pusemor.net
7 Appendix
In the next pages, the seven best practices are presented.
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Le P’tit Mag (small shop) in Corcelles sur Chavornay
1. Domain(s) of public services involved Every day needs : food items
2. Locality / region / Country Village of Corcelles-sur-Chavornay (Nord vaudois)
3. Territorial level/extent Region of about 5 km2 300 inhabitants
4. Target groups Population of the village
5. Basic idea / aims / how does it work Le Pt’t Mag (french for : the small shop) is an initiative of the population who wanted to keep the village alive. In one year, many shops (tea room, dairy, grocery shop) closed. It was a shock for some inhabitants. They created an association for the management of a small grocery shop. In this shop, there is also the possibility to drink a coffee.
6. Why it is considered innovative The P’tit Mag is innovative for three reasons: a) The idea came from the inhabitants and not from the municipality. b) The implementation of this shop had the consequence that shops who left the village in the last years (eg. the fish shop) came back in the village. c) With a small starting budget, it was possible to make something.
7. Start / how long it has been running Start of project : first of january 2004
8. Costs / funding Le Pt’t Mag employs 16 voluntaries. They work part time. The municipality gave the association „Le Pt’it Mag“ a start loan of 10'000 euros and gives every years 2'000 euros for the running costs (hiring of the building)
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9. Transferability to other regions / conditions for a transfer The idea to build a cooperative for the management of a grocery is not new. It runs well if the persons involved in the project are good organized and motivated. The risk is that the voluntary work will not last a long time .
10. More information (website, contact person)
Mrs Gass, 0041 24 441 49 90
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SpediBEO
1. Domain(s) of public services involved transport of goods and passengers (public and private, road and rail)
2. Locality / region / Country Valleys of the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
3. Territorial level / extent Region of about 2'000 km 2 (7 districts)
4. Target groups End customers of the new solutions are (1) private companies in retail trade and other branches, (2) residents and (3) tourists.
5. Basic idea / aims / how does it work SpediBEO is a broadly based plattform for generating and implementing innovative projects in the domain of transports. It has 3 focal points: a) smalls; coordination of transport, stocking and delivery of piece goods b) provision with every day goods; measures to save costs of the local retail trade for transports and purchase c) mobility; more comfortable offers of public transports particularly for tourists (luggage, connections, mobility within the resort) These activities have three goals: (1) more efficient transports, (2) more attractive public transports and (3) more security on the roads and in the villages. In summer 2005, 19 subprojects are running. Providers are normally existing transport companies (private and public) and mostly these subprojects aim to optimise interfaces in complex transport chains.
6. Why it is considered innovative SpediBEO is innovative for three reasons: • in Switzerland, similar projects only exist in agglomerations, but not in rural areas, where the „costs of wideness“ implicate special problems • the different actors (private transport companies, railways, retail trade, tourism) have not cooperated very much so far, also because they oftentimes are in a fierce competition • constant growth of leisure mobility is a problem not only for ecological reasons. New ideas are wanted to slow this increase and to reduce environmental damages of mobility
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7. Start / how long it has been running start of project 2002, initial phase by end of 2006
8. Costs / funding Total costs for the initial phase about 300'000 Euro, financed one half by the confederation (regional policy programme „Regio plus“) and one half by the canton of Berne and the involved regional planning associations and the actors in the domain of transport. After 2007, the activities should be self-financed (without special public funds).
9. Transferability to other regions / conditions for a transfer The basic idea of a regional platform of actors involved in the transports can be transfered to other rural / mountain regions, but the concrete actions have to be defined by the regional actors. Important factors of influence are the available structures in the branche, the needs of the customers (retail and other trade, tourism) and the disposition of the different actors to cooperate.
10. More information (website, contact person) www.regioplus.ch/rpd__projekte_d.html (de and fr)
• Erich Kohli, Bergregion Obersimmental / Saanenland Stockentalstr. 2, CH-3638 Blumenstein [email protected]
• Gerhard Schuster, Büro für Mobilität RUNDUMPostfach, CH-3601 Thun [email protected]
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Electric company of the Valley of Joux
1. Domain(s) of public services involved
Telecommunication : Supply of electricity, telephony, internet and tv network
2. Locality / region / Country The Valley of Joux (not in our test areas)
3. Territorial level / extent Region of about 163 km 2 6'200 inhabitants
4. Target groups Households and enterprises of the Valley
5. Basic idea / aims / how does it work Beginning of 1970, the local authorities decided to bring the Valley the same technology that was available in the cities. They didnt want their peripheral region to become late compared to the other regions of Switzerland. They decided to invest in technology and 1977 the TV network came to the Valley. This TV network allowed other developments in the next years : internet, a local tv channel and a broader reception of the other tv channels.
6. Why it is considered innovative The electric company of La Vallée de Joux is innovative for three reasons: d) The valley of Joux was the first peripheral region in Switzerland to get the tv network e) 1977 local authorities have recognized the importance of the technologies for the development of rural areas. f) The creation of a local tv channel to strengthen the local identity.
7. Start / how long it has been running Tv network since 28 years.
8. Costs / funding No data found. In this domain, the investments per year are high. They are financed by the 3 municipalities of the Valley (owner of the company). The consumer price for electricity and tv network is almost the same as in the city of Lausanne. The population doesn‘t have to support more costs because they are in the periphery.
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9. Transferability to other regions / conditions for a transfer Yes, the idea is transferable. For sure, there are technological conditions to implement a network like this in other valleys.
10. More information (website, contact person) www.sevj.ch
M. Alain Bourqui, director of the electric company.
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PubliCar : a bus on request
1. Domain(s) of public services involved Transport of passengers (road)
2. Locality / region / Country Many rural areas in Switzerland. E.g test area Nord vaudois
3. Territorial level /extent Nord vaudois = region of about 542 km 2
4. Target groups
People without a driver licence (old people, young people) or without a second car at home (e.g mothers ).
5. Basic idea / aims / how does it work
The offer of public transport in the rural areas becomes increasingly difficult because of the cost pressure. The buses don‘t have enough passengers, especially out of the peak hours. To satisfy the customers who want a more flexibel schedule, Carpostal (a swiss bus company) offers Publicar, a system of bus on request.
Passengers call a free number to reserve a place in the bus. A call center collects every demand and transfers them to the bus driver who can also adapt his route in function of the passengers. A Publicar bus contains 8 to 18 seats and can stop and pick up passengers almost everywhere. The passengers have to pay a small tax for the service.
6. Why it is considered innovative PubliCar is innovative for three reasons: • A new offer in the domain of transport of passengers. The schedule and the route are not fixed. • The buses are small (max 18 passengers) and it reduces the costs of transport for the bus company. • PubliCar is a solution for the rural area and also for small cities.
7. Start / how long it has been running First test area in 1995. In Nord vaudois, since 1999.
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8. Costs / funding PubliCar is running in 32 regions of Switzerland. No financial data available.
9. Transferability to other regions / conditions for a transfer PubliCar can be transfered to other rural / mountain regions, if the region has a topography like a cobweb. The system doesn’t run well in valley with dead end (cul de sac) because the driver looses to much time to go there and to come back. There is only one road and he can’t adapt his route. Important factors of influence are the number of old persons in the region and the scattering of the villages.
10. More information (website, contact person) www.carpostal.ch
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Health, social and elderly center in Ste-Croix
1. Domain(s) of public services involved Health, social and elderly care
2. Locality / region / Country Municipality of Ste-Croix (test area Nord vaudois) and the surrounding municipalities.
3. Territorial level / extent Region of about 40 km 2 5'000 inhabitants
4. Target groups The elderly and sick people of the region
5. Basic idea / aims / how does it work Beginning of 1990 the hospital in Ste-Croix was old and under used. The canton of Vaud put the pressure on the local authorities to think about the future of the hospital (functions and financing). The municipality and a few specialists of the health and elderly care began to think about it and asked the population about their needs. 1994 the project of merging the hospital with the home for elderly and the social center started. The project lasted 6 years. Now you can find in the center: • 22 protected appartments (= visit of the nurses is every time possible) • 1 restaurant and 1 grocery store • 1 unit for daily reception of the elderly • Appartments for students • 72 beds in the hospital
6. Why it is considered innovative The health, social and elderly center is innovative for four reasons: • It is the first time that a such type of combined center is built in Switzerland • The modell was built on the needs of the local population • The new center uses the formerly used buildings of the clock making industries.
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• The elderly are not alone in the home. They are mixed with young people (appartments for students).
7. Start / how long it has been running Start of project 1994 Opening : 2000
8. Costs / funding About 6 millions of Euros. It was financed by the canton of Vaud, the municipality of Ste-Croix and a private foundation.
9. Transferability to other regions / conditions for a transfer The project should be transfered in other regions because the satisfaction of the customer is high. However this project has needed in the canton of Vaud a lot of political lobbying.
10. More information (website, contact person) www.renova-vd.ch , Mrs Vitti, director.
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Building wiht several uses (multifunction center) in Ballaigues
1. Domain(s) of public services involved Every day needs : food and non food items, Culture and local administration.
2. Locality / region / Country Village of Ballaigues (test area Nord vaudois)
3. Territorial level /extent Region of about 9 km 2 867 inhabitants
4. Target groups Population of Ballaigues Elderly
5. Basic idea / aims / how does it work In the Nineties, seeing several stores closing, the municipality started to be concerned about the future of the village. It asked the population how to instigate the village. The answers were very broad but the need of a center emerged. Population needs a place to meet. The municipality decided to build a new center, composed of a grocery store, a tea room, a hall for parties and a conference room. The grocery store will deliver also the purchases at home (wish of some elderly).
6. Why it is considered innovative The multifunction center project is innovative for three reasons: • Reduces costs for the municipality • Gives the village a new life and identity • Project came from the ideas of the population (participative method)
7. Start / how long it has been running Project start: 1999 Construction of the building 2005
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8. Costs / funding About 5 millions Euros, financed by the municipality. In Ballaigues there is a big precision industry, therefore the municipality is not poor.
9. Transferability to other regions / conditions for a transfer The project is transferable to other regions. The project leader has to be strong, because in the case of Ballaigues, he had to face a lawsuit. This kind of project needs time for the population to adapt.
10. More information (website, contact person)
Mrs Leresche, head of the municipality of Ballaigues
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Management plan („Altersleitbild“) for the regional policy for elderly
1. Domain(s) of public services involved Care for elderly (health care, nursing homes, homes for elderly, mobile nursing, other mobile services, courses / leisure activites, advisory service)
2. Locality / region / Country Districts of Saanenland and Obersimmental
3. Territorial level/extent Regions (districts) of about 300 km 2
4. Target groups Partners in the elaboration and the implementation of the management plans were / are local and regional organisations dealing (as volunteer or professional) with policy for elderly. Target groups of the activites are elderly people.
5. Basic idea / aims / how does it work The management plans provide a basis for a common regional policy for elderly. For this policy four aims have been fixed: • More autonomy / empowerment for elderly • Granting options / safeguarding continuity in lifestile • Solidarity between generations / upgrading of social structures • Networking of organisations and better information between the institutions and outwards During the elaboration of the plans ideas for activities and measures have emerged in the domains: • homes and assisted living (enough places meeting new requirements) • Mobile services (nursing, meals, household, transports etc.) • Leisure / social contacts (courses, sport, common meals, visiting, holidays etc.) • Organisation of and information for elderly people (regional council for elderly, regional point for information / advisory service, regular festivities)
6. Why it is considered innovative
We consider not the results as special innovative but the approach and the process of the management plans. The following factors were / are crucial: • Wide support and acceptance of the regional working group with different resources (representatives of local authorities, of volunteer organisations and also professional experts) • Bottom-up approach / decentral planning (the municipalities and the local organisations have the leading role) PUSEMOR/ Report Team Western Switzerland/ SAB/ 26.01.06 62
• Participatory approach / helping people to help themselves (elderly people are involved for elaboration and implementation of measures) • Integral approach (infrastructures as e.g. homes as well as social measures)
7. Start / how long it has been running Saanenland: ca. 1999, Obersimmental: ca. 2003
8. Costs / funding For the elaboration of the management plan only a small budget was necessary because most of operations were rendered voluntary or in a regular employment. For the implementation of some „hard“ measures (infrastructures) special budgets are elaborated.
9. Transferability to other regions / conditions for a transfer The basic idea of such a regional platform of institutions involved in policy for elderly can be transfered to other regions, but the concrete actions have to be defined by the regional actors.
Important factors of influence are the available infrastructures and social structures and the genuine needs of elderly people in a region.
10. More information (website, contact person)
Provisional: Ueli Stalder, SAB
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