Program for residency and well-being in Hallingdal
The "Living and Thriving in Hallingdal" program is a project in which all the municipalities in Hallingdal collaborate, together with the Hallingdal Regional Council, Buskerud County Council, and the District Centre. The project began in autumn 2023 and will conclude in summer 2025.
The program’s main goal is to identify which initiatives have the greatest impact in the region to help retain current residents, prevent outward migration, and attract new residents. Furthermore, a key objective is that, after the project ends, initiatives that have shown positive effects in the region will be integrated into regular operations within the municipalities.
"Living and Thriving" has a broad scope, both in terms of target groups, stakeholders, and focus areas. Therefore, the municipalities chose to establish the program with three priority areas to address both unique and shared challenges. The selected focus areas are:
- Housing Development
- Well-being and Sense of Belonging
- Attractiveness
The project period began with systematic collection and mapping of existing knowledge, while several studies—both qualitative and quantitative—were conducted to ensure new insights from the region itself. This work has provided valuable insight into the living and thriving conditions in Hallingdal and may also benefit other rural municipalities when the knowledge is shared after the project ends. In the second phase, the initiatives identified during the mapping phase are implemented regionally, and in the final phase, an evaluation will provide recommendations for the way forward for the municipalities.
Well-being and Sense of Belonging
The focus area Well-being and Sense of Belonging conducted focus group interviews in spring 2024 with the target groups: residents aged 18–39 without children, 18–39 with children, people with a different cultural background, and employers. The goal of the interviews was to understand how Hallingdal can become an even better place to live—for those who grow up here and those who move in.
Initiatives being tested during the project period include:
- Welcome meetings for new residents
- Hallinghygge
- Transport support for events
- Mayor visits to 10th-grade classes
Welcome Meetings for New Residents
All municipalities in Hallingdal will invite new residents to welcome meetings as a pilot in spring 2025. Several municipalities have already implemented this measure for some time, while others are trying it for the first time. Experiences and knowledge are generously shared so that all municipalities can offer new residents a warm welcome to Hallingdal.
Hallinghygge
The regional *Living and Thriving in Hallingdal* program has provided funding to all Hallingdal municipalities to establish Hallinghygge—a new social meeting place for residents of Hallingdal. Municipalities will organize events throughout the spring to create new arenas where people can meet new and old friends across established friend groups and generations. A key target group is new residents in Hallingdal—but everyone is of course equally welcome!
Transport Support
Transport is a barrier for youth and young adults wanting to attend events in other Hallingdal municipalities. The regional *Living and Thriving in Hallingdal* program provides funding to local organizers who arrange transportation to and/or from events held between January and May 2025. Piloting event transport is a measure that can enable more youth and young adults to participate in events and activities within the region.
Mayor Visits to 10th Grade
Mayors will visit 10th-grade students to meet with them and talk about well-being and sense of belonging in Hallingdal. Through these visits and conversations, mayors can help strengthen young people's connection to their local communities and give them a sense that they are important to the future of Hallingdal. This initiative may also encourage more young people to stay in the region.
Hallingdal Well-being Guide
We’ve put together some friendly guidelines for creating a more welcoming Hallingdal. Check out the Well-being Guide!
Attractiveness
The focus area *“Attractiveness”* targets newcomers aged 18–35 and young adults with higher education.
The main efforts are focused on:
- Showcasing Hallingdal
- Mapping the driving forces behind why the target group chooses to move from urban areas to the mountain region
The Brand
A re-launch of the website in March 2025 aimed at the target group is a key initiative: www.hallingdal.no. The development is ongoing, and we aim to engage municipalities and the business community as active contributors.
An example of collaboration with local businesses: Together with the local newspaper *Hallingdølen*, the initiative *“Opp og fram”* has been launched. Opp og fram – Opp og fram. The magazine and website present different perspectives on living in Hallingdal, with a focus on local entrepreneurship and business.
Other key initiatives we want to highlight include "Trainee Hallingdal" and "Campus Hallingdal": Hallingdal studies and trainee. These are attractive programs aimed at encouraging the target group to choose Hallingdal.
Relocation Mapping
What makes people choose to move from the *city to the countryside*? What motivates the “Attractiveness” target group to relocate from urban to rural areas? In collaboration with the *Fjellnettverket* (Mountain Network), a study has been initiated to find out exactly that. Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences has been commissioned to conduct the study, and results are expected by summer 2025.
Why move to the mountains? – Fjellnettverket.
The results will help us better understand and facilitate new residents in Hallingdal and support more targeted marketing toward our audience.
Housing Development
More information coming soon..