Kommunale Handlungsspielräume für innovative Daseinsvorsorge in ländlichen Räumen

How can local public services be made sustainable in the face of financial pressures, demographic change, climate change and spatial disparities, particularly in rural areas? This article discusses approaches to creating scope for innovative local action in the provision of public service infrastructure. The focus is on local authorities in rural areas, whose infrastructure is under particular pressure to adapt and for which concepts from highly urbanised areas can only be applied to a limited extent. It is evident that local authorities possess considerable potential for innovation due to their decentralised structures and proximity to local needs. However, realising this potential requires suitable framework conditions, sufficient resources and cooperative governance structures.