Program for residency and well-being in Hallingdal

The Program for Residency and Well-being in Hallingdal is a collaborative effort among all the municipalities in Hallingdal, along with the Hallingdal Regional Council, Buskerud County Council, and the District Center. The project began in the autumn of 2023 and will conclude in the summer of 2025.

The program's primary goal is to identify which initiatives are most effective in the region to retain residents, prevent outmigration, and also attract new inhabitants. Furthermore, it aims that after the project's completion, successful measures will be implemented permanently in the municipalities.

The Residency and Well-being program covers a broad scope, considering various target groups, stakeholders, and focus areas. Therefore, the municipalities decided to establish the program with three areas of effort, to address both unique and shared challenges. The selected focus areas in the program are:

• Housing Development
• Well-being and Belonging
• Attraction Power

The project period began with a systematic collection and analysis of existing knowledge, while also conducting various studies, both qualitative and quantitative, to gather new insights specific to our region. This effort has provided valuable information about residency and well-being for the region, and eventually, for other rural municipalities when the knowledge is shared post-project. In the second phase of the project, initiatives identified in the mapping phase are implemented regionally, and finally, the evaluation will offer recommendations for the municipalities' future direction.

Well-being guide for Hallingdal

It's easy to thrive in Hallingdal when everyone
… warmly welcomes new residents and promotes each other.
Say hello, care, invite along, and tell others about the activities and opportunities we have in Hallingdal! Welcoming new residents to Hallingdal can create a positive, pleasant, and good start in their new home.

… sees our youth, involves them, and listens to what they have to say.
The youth are the future and our most important resource. Good involvement in development processes can strengthen place attachment, provide mastery, learning, co-determination, and ownership among the youth. The relationship with the hometown is shaped at a young age and participation is therefore important for the youth's well-being and sense of belonging to the hometown, and their view of the possibilities to stay or return in the future.

… explores and offers new ways to get around in the valley.
Transportation is important for the whole community, especially for the youth, young adults, and the elderly. The local public transport is very important for both work and leisure. It can contribute to social equalization, social sustainability, and to maintaining and creating new meeting places. Sustainable transport solutions are important for the climate, environment, and economy. New and innovative ideas are important for transport in district municipalities.

Transportation to and from local events can be an important measure for more people to have the opportunity to participate in what happens within the region. Organizers are encouraged to offer event transportation, perhaps as an integrated part of the ticket price, for the whole of Hallingdal. Surveys show that people are willing to pay more for good transport solutions, thereby having the opportunity to attend more events.

… invites to and spreads the word about the events and activities taking place
Please invite someone to what's happening, perhaps you can meet more people and try new activities. Invite people to nature, culture, sports, and social events, Hallingdal has a lot to offer!

Local teams, associations, and enthusiasts are important resources for local residency work. Municipalities can create arenas for collaboration with the voluntary sector on positive measures for residents. There can be idea and input meetings for specific projects and events, or open meetings where everyone is invited to participate, collaborate, and co-create. Inclusive meeting places are important for all age groups and can contribute to increased well-being and belonging.

… takes good care of new employees and colleagues, both during and outside work hours
Well-being at work has a great impact on our quality of life. Many spend large parts of their day and life at the workplace. Employers often meet new residents early and have a unique opportunity to contribute to increased well-being, for example, through information sharing, company activities, and other workplace environment measures.

On-boarding can also be seen as a collaboration between the municipalities as hosts for their residents and employers as hosts for their employees. Employers who invest in and take care of their employees both during and outside work hours increase the chances of well-being, belonging, and that employees stay longer in their jobs.

Municipalities can …
Send out welcome letters and invite all new residents to a welcome meeting.
Provide broad and comprehensive information about activities and offerings to residents, especially to new residents and people from other countries.
Involve youth in event development, place development, and municipal planning.
Contribute to increased belonging to the hometown through increased knowledge about the place and local history.
Organize mayor visits to schools where students are told they are important for the future of the village.
 

Employers can …
Welcome their employees by providing a good work environment.
Consider the 24-hour human (take care of employees outside of work hours).
Help to find housing or with information about the housing market in Hallingdal.
Provide information about events and leisure activities.
 

Organizers can …
Include youth in planning so that events also feel attractive to them.
Welcome and facilitate participation from all parts of the population, teams, and organizations.
Offer transportation solutions to and from events.
 

The youth can …
Share and voice their opinion: Participation works and is important!
Help to create meeting places.
Have innovative ideas, including for new jobs and transportation options, etc.
Get involved in place development and municipal planning.