Shrinking Cities

- A Scandinaivian planning perspective versus international shrinkage politics

IRS Leibniz Institute of Regional Development and Structural Planning

Stina Bäckström February 2014

In some cities, the high density of people in one place is the main challenge. To build effective and expand in a sustainable way for everyone involved becomes the challenge, as more inhabitants continuously joins. At the same time, other places experience shrinkage, and find themselves in need to plan for a decreasing number of residents. In shrinking cities, the obstacle lies in the loss – How does one go on when people leave? Will someone fill the gap after them, or does the focus sometimes have to be to accept and adapt to the new situation? In European countries, the highest concentrations of people can be found around and in the capital, and in other rather large cities (www.landguiden.se). In these areas, the number of people tend to increase steadily, and in some cases a rather large share of the newcomers, are emigrants from less dense parts of the same country. In this paper it is my aim to bring some of the cases of shrinkage problems into light, and analyse what similarities I can find between them, as well as the differences that makes every case somehow unique. I have studied the situation of the Norwegian and Swedish population trends, seeing as it is two Scandinavian countries that both experience shrinkage in their less dense areas. Since the largest population losses have been taking place in the northernmost regions of both Sweden and Norway, these areas in the north are the ones that I will look deeper into. Sweden

Sweden today is home to about 9.5 million people, and this number is increasing yearly. The population growth is concentrated to he most densely populated areas in the southern part of the country, while most of the northernmost areas are experiencing shrinkage, and watch many of their inhabitants move south. Nearly 40% of the Swedish population live in one of the three largest cities: Stockholm, Göteborg or Malmö. All these cities are located in the southern parts of the country, and all in coastal areas. This growth image is expected to remain in a foreseeable future, and the pressure on the south to provide services, employment and accommodation for the rising population is big (boverket.se). In the upper half of the Swedish country, the image is reverse. Many of the northernmost areas are experiencing a population decrease since many decades, followed by weak economies, aging populations and a lower life quality due to bad maintenance (boverket.se).

Southern Sweden. The marked area is the capital region, and the strongest County in Sweden – Stockholm. 1987-2012 the County increased its population by 30%. (Map: Stina Bäckström) At the economic department of the Swedish government, members of a selected focus group are currently investigating the question of giving extended financial aid t in the future, to cities that are severely hit by shrinkage. The extended aid would be necessary in some of the affected municipalities for these to be able to offer a basic commercial range and health care locally. The investigation is broad, and one large project that has attracted attention during 2013 and 2014 is a rural/peripheral evaluation that currently goes under the working name “Landsbygdsprogrammet” (“The rural programme”, author’s transl.). One of the questions being

investigated in the programme, is if there is a chance for all the small municipalities with less than 5000 inhabitants to survive on their own, or if some of them need to be combined into larger administrative areas in the future. If this would be implemented in reality, it could increase the competitiveness of the cities, but critics argue that it could also eliminate the local histories and cultures in a long term perspective (regeringen.se). One of the greatest problems with the shrinkage of these northern municipalities is that when people leave, the tax basis for the municipality is reduced, and at the same time, the remaining population gets older, and needs a reliable health care. In the political system that runs in Sweden today, a basic welfare ensures that all counties get a yearly share of the budget, to be able to supply their municipalities with a base of health care, local transportation and other things. In addition to this fund, counties apply for the support they are in need of in other questions, such as larger infrastructural improvements or large building projects that could be considered a national interest (regeringen.se). During 2013 Norrbotten county applied for about 20 billion Swedish Crowns to finance an extension of the train tracks in the area, but got only 6,4 billions, which have to be shared with three other northern counties (Dagens Arena 26/9-13). The Northern County as a whole has lost nearly 5% of its inhabitants over the last 25 years (regionfakta.com), and there is no bright future to ahead, according to recent statistical reports. One of the statistical reports and municipal reports that have resulted in this programme, is an extensive evaluation that was presented in 2013, by the statistical consult firm WSP, ordered by the Swedish Government. This evaluation shows that 19 Swedish municipalities are at risk of losing all their inhabitants within this century, if nothing radical changes. Tore Englén, one of the persons behind the WSP report, says the following: “By today’s date knowledge is considered much more important than being skilled with handcrafts. Many municipalities with a low educated population, and escaping industries and inhabitants, have serious problems with adapting to the new situation (svd.se, author’s translation). One of the most important industries in the Norrbotten County today, is the export of iron ore. The ore is mined in the municipalities of Kiruna and Gällivare, two small areas that alone produce about 90% of the yearly iron ore stock extracted inside the European Union. (botniskakorridoren.se) It can therefore be argued that the iron ore-industry is the most important business that is located place in Norrbotten today, since it is in the iron ore mining that the most money flows yearly. Luleå municipality on the south eastern coast of the Norrbotten County is one of the only two municipalities that have been experiencing a population growth during the last decenniums. The city has grown 12 % since 1987, (www.scb.se), the year that is my general starting point for the population development research, to enable an easy, clear comparison. Luleå has about 75. 000 inhabitants, and is the main city of the county. About 22%, (17.000) of these are

students at the city’s technical university, founded in 1970. Other important industries are steel industry and research related to steel, mining and mechanical engineering (lulea.se).

Northern Sweden, Norrbotten County marked out, with the regional capital municipality (Luleå) and the three municipalities with the biggest population decrease 1987-2012. (Map by Stina Bäckström) Pajala is a northern municipality, located in the western part of the county. It has been shrinking since the late 1960’s, and is still experiencing shrinkage every year. Today, it is home to about 6500 persons. In earlier times, Pajala was a place living from wood- and agricultural industries, and it had its population peak during the beginning of the 1950’s, with 15.400 inhabitants. Pajala’s problem can in a retrospective perspective be translated into the fact that the city was so dependent on a few employers and sectors. As in many other cities with a monotonous economy, Pajala was hit hard by mechanicalization and relocation of industries from the 1950’s and onwards, and also by the closing of the mine in the area, resulting in that many people left, seeking employment in other cities (Pajala.se). Pajala has lost 27% of its inhabitants since 1987, and the municipality is experiencing continuous shrinkage yearly (scb.se). A new mine in the area is currently awaiting governmental consideration and evaluation, and if it gets permission to open, a scenario that is likely going to happen, this would result in many new jobs and attract people.

Övertorneå municipality borders to Pajala, and with 4.700 inhabitants it is smaller than it’s neighbour. During the 19th and the 20th centuries it was a lively town, living from the industries of wood and steel, as well as from some fishing industry (overtarnea.se). During its heydays, the town had its population peak around 1950, where after it has been shrinking until today’s date, and is expected to continue to do so. Since 1987, Övertorneå municipality has lost 22% of the inhabitants. The Swedish Newspaper ”Dagens Samhälle” (”Today’s Society”, author’s translation) has been collecting and evaluating statistics from the Swedish governmental statistics database SCB (Statistical Central Bureau), and the indications from the SCB-reports do not predict a bright future for Övertorneå. If the shrinkage continues to follow the current downward trends, the city will have lost its entire population by year 2075 (dagenssamhalle.se). The inhabitants of Övertorneå today are mainly employed in the governmental sector, with health care, municipality duties or similar employments (scb.se). The graph below is published on the official homepage of Övertorneå Municipality, and illustrates the population trends in the area over nearly two centuries, 1800-1990. The peak year was 1950, when the population reached more than 10.000 inhabitants. After this, the shrinkage was nearly as big as the rise had been until this year, and later reports from 2002 and onwards indicate a continuing decrease.

(Graph: overtornea.se) Another neighbouring municipality is Överkalix, one that also is among the top three in the county regarding the loss of inhabitants. Överkalix was in earlier years offering most of its employments in the wood and paper-industry, with a big sawmill running from mid 19th-century until 1988, and a paper mill producing big loads of paper for export between 1950-1993. Hence, the paper mill was established during the time when the wood industry started to get less profitable, but in retrospect it was not enough to help up Överkalix from the drop. (kalixbyar.se) Today Överkalix has about 3.700 inhabitants, and experiences a small but steady shrinkage yearly. Among the people still left, nearly 67% are employed in the service sector, 23% in the manufacturing industry, and 7% in areal industries such as reindeer holdings (ÖP Överkalix 2010 p.41).

These three municipalities are all small, and therefore cooperation initiatives become important, to lower the costs for each municipality, and to strengthen the attraction of new inhabitants (ÖP Överkalix 2010: p, 41). One of these initiatives is focused on increasing the level of higher education in the area, and has been going on since 1999. It is an association called ”Högskoleförbundet Östra Norrbotten” (Eeastern Norrbotten College Association), and it includes all of the three municipalitiesalready mentioned in this article, and two stronger ones, Piteå and Haparanda. The association is working together cross the municipalities to enable support with distance studies, open up institutions where students can write their exams, and advert the possibility of staying in the area and still being able to proceed with a higher education (hfon.se). An extended evaluation done by the Swedish researcher Nima Sanandaji (2013) shows that he growth of the southern parts of Sweden, as well as the shrinkage of the Northern parts, is expected to continue at least until year 2040. New inhabitants will supposedly settle in or nearby the counties of Stockholm, Halland, Skåne and Västra Götaland, where the highest birth rate will also continuously be found (Sanandaji 2013, p.25). Even if only parts of the calculations should turn out to be correct, this development would mean that a radical change has to take place to be able to turn the trends in Northern Sweden in a foreseeable future- if growth remains the desirable goal, that is. The growth of the southern parts of Sweden, especially the cities with more than 100.000 inhabitants, as well as the shrinkage of the North, is expected in forecasts on a national level to remain at least until year 2040, or as far into the future as most predictions reach. The counties of Stockholm, Halland, Västra Götaland and Skåne will supposedly grow the most, and more companies are expected to relocate to these parts of the country (Sanandaji, 2013, p. 25).If these predictions are true, radical changes have to take place to turn the trends in the Northern most parts of Sweden - if growth remains the desirable goal, that is. “Equal welfare” system for Swedish municipalities One of the incentives to enable people to spread out somehow over the country, and provide equal conditions for all municipalities, is the Swedish cost compensation system. This compensation model has been used since the early 20th century, though many improvements have been made over the years, and the main idea behind it is to support geographically or financially strained municipalities. This is being done by a system that frees economically weak areas from paying a tax to the government, while the municipalities with an exceptionally favourable economic and geographic structure, due to a high number of inhabitants or visitors, a strong market or similar conditions instead pay a tax. The tax incomes from stronger municipalitiesis distributed from the nation state as a support to poor municipalities, enabling them to offer health care, food stores, maintain recreation places and meet other basic needs of their inhabitants (regeringen.se). A recently published research project, presented by the analytics company TCO for the Swedish Governmental Institution “SCB”, shows the demographic challenges that Sweden is expected to experience during the period 2013-2030. The study provides the reader with a clear image of the divided country that Sweden has become, where the focus lies around the

capital and the big cities in the southern part, and the ambitions to drag small, challenged cities out of the mud appear to small to make any real difference. Many municipalities are dependent on the money they receive from taxes, and when the inhabitants leave, funding basic needs such as a hospital and a small commercial market, become very hard. (Dn.se 27/1) Norway

Map of the Norwegian Countys. The strongest County is Oslo, that has been growing 36% 1987-2012 (map: Statens Kartverk Norway) In the Scandinavian neighbouring country of Norway, the shrinkage of cities is a topic that has been discussed, evaluated and fought for many years. During the latter half of the 20th century, many industries, likewise in the case of Sweden, relocated or closed down due to more effective technicalities, changes in demand and a numerous other reasons. In addition to investment-aid forms and transportation support, the Norwegian governmental system for enabling a functioning market in the challenged, less dense parts of the country also opens for other supporting forms to keep people in these areas, and bring new inhabitants there. Some examples of these are financial aid packages to companies moving their business here. (“Norut Alta” report 2013) Population loss in Finnmark County One of the Counties of Norway that has been struggling with population loss for many years is the northernmost one, Finnmark. In Finnmark today lives about 75.000 people, and the largest age group by far is the older ones, inhabitants aged 55-70. In Finnmark only about

40% of the adult population has completed a higher education, according to statistics presented by the Norwegiam Statistical Database in 2008. This level is, together with the neighbouring County of Tromsø, the lowest in the country (ssb.no). Since 1985 Finnmark has lost 8% of its inhabitants (ssb.no), and is still shrinking. The largest outmigrating age group is young adults, 25-34 years of age. The group has shrunken by nearly 35% the last decades. This downward trend has been observed since the late 60’s, wherefore the Norwegian Government started up a project aiming to turn this image as early as in 1990 .The capital of The municipalities that have been hit the hardest by outmigration over the years are Lebesby and Porsanger, illustrated in the map below. Lebesby is a small costal town in the middle of Finnmark, and the municipality has no more than 1300 inhabitants (lebesby.kommune.no). The economy is built up around fishing, agriculture, tourism, wind- and waterpower. Lebesby has lost 25% of the population since 1987. The main reasons behind the population loss is the distant location, with long transportation to the capital and to southern Europe, as well as the economic crisis during the 1980’s.

Another municipality with one of the largest population declines in Norway during the studied period, is the neighbouring Porsanger. with nearly 4000 inhabitants today. Since 1987, the population of Porsanger has been shrinking 11%. The shrinkage was bigger during the 1980’s and the first half of the 90’s, where after it slowly stabilized. One of the reasons behind the stabilization is believed to be the increased focus on nation state-level directed towards the area, starting in 1990.

As stated, the Norwegian government has done much to prevent inhabitants of the Northern counties from leaving, and also to attract new inhabitants. The County of Finnmark gets half of the yearly aid funds from a project called “Tiltakssonen Nord-Troms og Finnmark” (“Action Zone Nord-Troms and Finnmark”) The project is governmental, and financed by a

combination of the Counties and the nation state. It is multi-dimensional, and today it includes the following incentives for Finnmark:

- A yearly depreciation of your student loans (If you are a Norwegian resident, and have received the loans from the Norwegian State) if you move to Finnmark, or already live there. The depreciation depends on how big your loan is, but the maximum is 25.000 NOK per year.

- Transport aid to companies locating their business in Finnmark County, due to the fact that the transport costs might be higher for the export than if you locate in another area. The aid package applies to companies that have a transport way of 350 km or more.

- A cap system for electricity in private households. During the winters, Finnmark tend to get very cold, and the electricity prices be unpredictable and a large cost for families with a house. This initiative enables a safer economy, where the Action Zone project pays the electricity bills if the get higher than a certain level, decided by the size of your property and a number of other factors.

- Lower fees for employers that recruit new employees in Finnmark. - Lower income taxes for private persons - Higher salaries for preschool teachers

(lebesby.kommune.no)

Part of this financial action project is the transportation aid for companies. The main goal with this system is to reduce the number of companies relocating or locating in another part of the country than the North, due to high transportation costs and long distances. The money is given to the affected municipalities as a part of the yearly governmental aid, and the cities may also choose to use it for another purpose that they find to be of higher relevance. The municipality itself finances it, and participants of this aid system include the three northernmost counties of Norway. (Regjeringen.no 2013)

International shrinkage politics

In an international context, many similarities to the cases of Sweden and Norway can be observed. One of them is the case of Eastern Germany after 1989. In 1989, major political changes led to the fall of the Berlin wall, and the following years were tough ones for the East, population wise. People left as the uncertainty of the eastern future was unwritten, and the western regions could provide a safer base. As the market had been strictly controlled in the communist regime, many industries in eastern Germany did not make it through the 90’s, with new demands and conditions (www.ne.se).

Leipzig, Germany

One of the cities that have been fighting against a shrinking population and a rising empty housing stock is Leipzig, one of the largest cities of the eastern part of the country. Between 1989 and 1998, the city lost nearly 100.000 of its 530.000 inhabitants, leaving a large empty housing stock, an image of the city as unattractive, and many companies leaving. Leipzig has

through many different adaptions and initiatives in the past decades after the German reunification managed to attract new inhabitants and businesses. (leipzig.de) Today, the population of Leipzig is nearly back at the point it left off at the year of the reunification 25 years ago. Some reasons behind this turn in the population trend, is the focus on a high life quality that has been very prominent the last decades. Culture is an important part of Leipzig today, and it shows through many projects. Several empty properties have become concert venues, poetry cafés, event venues or second hand shops, among other things. This has been made possible over many years, and through initiatives and energy from many different actors. Continuous cooperation between planners, architects, volunteers and brave entrepreneurs has made change happen, and Leipzig is now increasing its population again. An important factor enabling creative use of the empty housing stock of the city, is that many property owners rather see that something happens on their property and that the houses are being maintained, than just letting them remain empty (leipzig.de).

Bilbao, Spain Bilbao, a former iron-mine and steel-producing city, and the capital of the Biscayan province in Spain, is a place that has undergone radical changes during the past 100 years. Bilbao today has a population of about 350.000 inhabitants. For several years, this was an important exporter of iron and steel, with a blossoming industrial economy. The population rise was very strong during the early 20th century, and Bilbao was a city with a remarkably developed infrastructure. In contrary to this, the latter half of the century brought other times to the region. During the 1980’s, Bilbao was hit very hard by the economic crisis that led to many industrial closures all over the world, and not the least in Spain. About 100.000 industrial workers lost their jobs in the region during a time-span of 6 years (1975-1979). The shipbuilding industry was affected the worst, and 42% of the employees were fired, while the steel industry staff declined by 21% (V. Goméz 1998, p.108-109). By the end of the 80’s, Bilbao had become an uninspiring, injured and shrinking city, and the ones thinking that Bilbao had a bright future ahead were probably easy to count. Many large industry sites were left at their fate, the unemployment rates high, and higher crime rates than before were among the negative effects that have been pointed out. During the 90’s though, the gloomy spirit of Bilbao started another transformation. As a result of a combination of things- the right decision-makers being involved and urban planning trends taking new turns, the regional government introduced the Bilbao ”Plan for revitalisation”. This plan was a document meant to change the image of the city quite radically, and included a new metro line, cleansing of the river and other life-quality improving strategies. A milestone in the development was when Bilbao got a Guggenheim Museum branch built in 1997. This museum, and the new planning directions and investments, has resulted in a city with a new face. Gone is the smoke from the heavy industries, and with focus on fields such as tourism and cultural experience, Bilbao has managed to survive an industrial shift and adapt to the new economic conditions- with all the new demands and lifestyles that come with them (del Castillo; Haarich 2004, p.3).

The initiatives in Bilbao have been inspired by planning models of other similar cities, one of them being Glasgow, today the largest city in Great Britain. Glasgow was like Bilbao an industrial city during the majority of the 20th century, strongly affected by the economic crises during the 60’s until the late 80’s. The city has been focusing on culture and other soft values since the mid 80’s, and big efforts put into increasing the life quality of the inner city to attract tourists and new inhabitants (V. Goméz 1998, p.110-111). Denmark In January 2014, the Danish Planning Institute “Dansk Byplan Laboratorium” published the results from a two year study on population shrinkage in Danish regions and municipalities. The report is called “Future of the periphery”, and is an evaluation of the current situation, ordered by the Danish government. In the report, evidence is being given that the nation would profit in the long run, if they decided to entirely “close down” a number of small, peripheral municipalities, currently being held over the water surface by governmental support (taxes) enabling them to maintain basic services to their inhabitants. The Byplan Laboratorium show and argue that a complete demolition of these villages and relocation of their services and inhabitants until year 2034, would cost the country less than keeping them alive until this the same year(Byplan Report p.3). Facts like these undeniably rise difficult questions about everybody’s right to choose where to live, and if this is an undesirable top-down way of planning, with a narrow focus on the economic part of sustainability, rather than on a human scale. Calculating costs and economic advantages is clearly on of the easiest ways of evaluating shrinkage and its direct effects, as quality of life is a soft value that is individual, but it might be hasty to found a complete demolition of a city on hard facts like economic advantage. Initiatives and ideas for a positive change One of the questions that are frequently discussed in the topic of shrinking cities is whether the shrinkage has to be considered negative, a threat against the development. Another starting point is to consider shrinkage a challenge, a chance to change old patterns of a place, and try out new planning tools and ideas. This positive perspective on shrinkage in a planning context is presented by urban planning professors I Zasada, S Alves, M Nefs and D Haase, in the “Environment and Planning” Magazine 2013. The authors argue in their paper “Shrinking Cities as retirement cities?” that shrinkage could, if used right, be used as a positive indicator, a marketing tool for attracting old people seeking a calm environment to settle down the last years of their lives (Zasada et. al, 2013 p.1455). Another point presented in the article is that if shrinking sites are maintained in an appropriate way for the specific case, the quality of life could increase for the right target groups in these environments. Acceptance of shrinkage and the right investments and initiatives could, according to Zasada et al, shape neighbourhoods and city cores with less stress, great housing options and a more relaxed lifestyle, contrary to the case of many big cities (Zasada et. al, 2013 p.1456).

Stina Bäckström

References

Books

Sanandaji, Nimas (2013): ”Krympande eller växande städer” (”Shrinking or growing cities?” Published by Reformnstitutet Sweden 2013. Available at: http://reforminstitutet.se/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Krympande-Eller-Vaxande-Stader.pdf

Articles/reports

Nefs, Merten; Alves Susanna; Zasada, Ingo; Haase, Dagmar (2013): Shrinking Cities as Retirement Cities? Opportunities for shrinking cities as green living environments for older individuals. Environment and Planning A 2013, Volume 45, pages. 1455-1473. Erkki, Carola (2005): “The decrease of Swedish Northern Municipalities: A study of 3 cities” Bachelor Thesis Luleå Technical University 2005. Dansk Byplanlaboratorium (Danish Centre for town planning) (2014): Vejkantsdanmarks fremtid. Dansk Byplanlaboratorium January 2014.

Del Castillo, Jaime; Haarich, Silke N. (2004):”Urban renaissance, arts and culture: the Bilbao region as an innovative millieu” in ”Resources naturelles et cutlturelles, millieux et développement local” 19 pages. Pallagst Katarina, Hollander Justin B, Schwarz Terry, J Popper Frank (2009): Planning Shrinking Cities http://policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/popper/ShrinkingCities.pdf V. Goméz, Maria (1998): Reflective Images: Urban Regeneration in Glasgow and Bilbao International Journal of Urban and Regional Research., p.106-121: Blackwell Publishers Ltd. 1998.

Governmental/municipal/EU-publications (Official documents) EU regulations: Article 107 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:115:0047:0199:en:PDF Swedish Government (2013): Landsbygdsprogrammet 2014-2022 http://www.regeringen.se/content/1/c6/08/27/24/0421beef.pdf Swedish Government (2013): Ökade exportsatsningar i Norrland för fler jobb http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/119/a/226620

Norwegian Government (2012): Tilltakssonen Norrut (http://www.regjeringen.no/upload/KRD/Rapporter/Rapporter_2012/Gjennomgang_tiltakssonen_norut.pdf) Norwegian Government (2012): “Transport aid for geographically segregated cities”

http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/kmd/tema/regional-_og_distriktspolitikk/virkeomrader-retningslinjer-og-regler/transportstotteordningen.html?id=527177 Norwegian Government (2012): Distriktspolitik: Virkeomrader www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/kmd/tema/regional-_og_distriktspolitikk/virkeomrader-retningslinjer-og-regler.html?id=526844 Norwegian Governmental comparision abut shrinkage: http://www.regjeringen.no/upload/KRD/Sentraliseringens%20pris/1.3%20Norge%20i%20en%20internasjonal%20sammenlikning.pdf#search=befolkningsminskning Lebesby Kommune (2013) “Economical advantages of a life in Finnmark and Nord-Troms” http://www.lebesby.kommune.no/okonomiske-fordeler-i-finnmark-og-nord-troms.4645012-145809.html Boverket (Swedish Governmental Institution)(2013): Vägledning för samordning http://www.boverket.se/Planera/Nationell-planering/Vagledning-for-samordning/ Boverket (Swedish Governmental Institution)(2013): Tillväxt utanför storstäderna http://www.boverket.se/Global/Planera/Dokument/Regional_planering/konferens131105/9_20131105%20Lars%20Westin_Tillv%C3%A4xt-utanforstorstaderna.pdf Official webpage of the Norrbotten-Municipality Övertorneå Www.overtarnea.se Official webpage of the Norrbotten-Municipality Pajala Www.pajala.se Overview Plan Pajala (2010) http://www.pajala.se/PageFiles/488/%C3%96P%2020100702%20andra%20versionen.pdf Official webpage of the Norrbotten-Municipality Överkalix Www.overkalix.se Overview Plan Överkalix (2010): http://www.overkalix.se/Documents/%C3%96versiktsplan/%C3%96versiktsplan%20%C3%96verkalix.pdf

Newspapers

Dagens Nyheter (27/1-2014): Avfolkning av landsbygden urholkar Sveriges Välfärd http://www.dn.se/debatt/avfolkning-av-landsbygden-urholkar-sveriges-valfard/ Svenska Dagbladet (10/4 2013): Förslag: Slå ihop små kommuner / Suggestion: Merge small cities http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/forslag-sla-ihop-sma-kommuner_8069066.svd Dagens Samhälle (28/8 2013): 19 kommuner riskerar att dö http://www.dagenssamhalle.se/nyhet/19-kommuner-riskerar-att-doe-6062 Dagens Arena (26/9 2013): Norrland nästan utan pengar i regeringens infrastrukturplan

http://www.dagensarena.se/innehall/norrland-nastan-utan-pengar-i-regeringens-infrastrukturplan/ Sveriges Radio 15/9-2006: ”Norrlandskommuner söker kraft från Göteborg” (Northern

Municipalities seek aid from

Gothenburg”)http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=104&artikel=940266

Webpages College project Eastern Norrbotten Webpage: Www.hfon.se A webpage about the history of Överkalix, partner of the official municipality website: (In Swedish) www.kalixbyar.se Leipzig City Webpage: www.leipzig.de Statistics concerning the population development of Leipzig: http://www.leipzig.de/buergerservice-und-verwaltung/unsere-stadt/statistik-und-zahlen/ Official Statistical Database Sweden: www.scb.se

Official Statistical Database Norway:

www.ssb.no