Kirchberg an der Raab, Styria, Austria

The municipality Kirchberg an der Raab is part of the Styrian volcano land which is a cooperation of 79 municipalities with the independent volcano land development LLC (limited liability company). The region commits itself to its vision of a humanitarian, ecological, and economically responsible future.

The municipality Kirchberg an der Raab counts 2,059 inhabitants, 905 jobs, and 93 visitor beds. Parts of the municipality are located within a protected scenic area. As part of the state’s current reformation of municipality structures, Kirchberg an der Raab is being merged with several other municipalities with which the municipality has had a successful cooperation as a micro-region for several years. This change is mainly viewed as a chance to position the municipality as a potent business- and industrial location. The concept for the new municipality has already been discussed and presented and inhabitants reacted very positive.

The village development process of Kirchberg an der Raab was kick-started in 1998 by creating a village renewal plan which was based on a public opinion poll. Goals, measures, and main emphases were established in groups. After that, the realization was tackled gradually. In 2007 the next steps were taken by the Local Agenda 21-process: working groups formulated main emphases and measure for society, environment, cultural landscape, economy, and tourism. The starting point was a public opinion poll, discussions during the course of town meetings, as well as a SWOT-analysis.

Project focal points were the construction of the water lily bath as the municipal bath with natural purification, the plantation of street trees, the construction of hiking trails and bicycle paths with adventure character, the preservation of local supply, and an increased attractiveness as a place to live for young people. The initiative “KunstLos Kirchberg” which is a platform for artistic and creative people as well as the club “Berndorfer Leben” also hosted special activities.

Ultimately, “Kirchberg Vital” was developed as the key project. This topic which deals with a healthy lifestyle across generations, helped the community to create a clear profile and position itself. The project comprises annual emphases with a broad program of lectures and activities which are meant to be participated in. So-called “vital trails” were built and health awareness noticeably improved. Therefore, a functioning nature is of great importance – the cross-linking with porjects regarding ecology is remarkable.

In addition to a high-quality village design, measures for the local supply were put in place in order to keep the added value in the village. The “Water lily coupon” which can be redeemed in all the local stores and businesses is an additional contribution to this purpose. A local heating cooperative association supplies almost all the public and private buildings within the central village with heat from biomass. A photovoltaic system has been installed on top of a carpentry.

Due to the measures which have been realized so far, Kirchberg an der Raab was able to establish a distinctive profile, to counteract out-migration, and to vastly improve the quality of living for its inhabitants.

Evaluated: 2014