Dimensions of Resilience and Mechanisms of Demographic Adaptation of Cities, Towns and Villages in Europe

Abstract

Ageing population and depopulation is one of the most important demographic and socio-economic challenges of Europe. These changes affect not only the age structure of the population, but also the functioning of local economies, social welfare systems and the cohesion of local communities. These phenomena are particularly acute in areas outside large urban agglomerations, where population ageing and depopulation cause demographic destabilisation and weaken development potential. The processes of population ageing and depopulation have a negative impact not only on the situation of big cities but also small towns and surrounding rural areas. The latter are struggling not only with depopulation and an ageing population, but also with limited access to public services, low incomes and unemployment. In the context of these changes, it is crucial to understand how small towns and rural areas can maintain or rebuild their demographic resilience, i.e. their ability to adapt and counteract the negative effects of ageing and depopulation. It is important to understand the role of local institutional capital and social capital social which support cross-sectoral cooperation for the benefit of older people and the improvement of the demographic situation. Analyses of these phenomena confirm that the innovativeness and effectiveness of policies vary greatly and depend on financial and human resources, as well as the quality of institutional and informal networks. The main objective of the panel is to identify mechanisms of adaptation and demographic resilience of cities, towns and rural areas in the face of population ageing and depopulation, with particular emphasis on the role of local institutional and social capital. During the panel, we will discuss resilience, as well as ways and mechanisms for cities, towns, and villages to adapt to an ageing population. We invite researchers for whom the study of these phenomena is the main area of their research and who would like to share their knowledge and the results of their research with other scientists. We also invite those for whom the challenges associated with an ageing population have become a significant determinant of the phenomena they study.

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