Access to settlements and the is particularly important for those with socioeconomic disadvantages and for older populations, particularly persons with mobility challenges. It is also key to promoting vibrant communities, and greater access to services can help the environment by reducing passenger vehicle emissions. A key issue for policy makers – particularly with respect to public services – is determining the appropriate levels of, and access to services for settlements of different size and locations. This report quantifies such access, which is especially important for places experiencing population decline, predominantly in rural areas.
Getting to Services in Towns & Villages
Across the world, people’s daily activities centre around clusters of population and economic activity. Settlements – cities, towns and villages – provide jobs and access to services for their own residents and others nearby. Thriving settlements can promote wellbeing while addressing societal challenges in regions and countries.
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A town or village’s access to a city also affects its provision of services. For example, only a third of towns with access to a city have their own hospital, whereas more than half of towns that are more than 30 minutes from a city have a hospital. Towns & villages more than 30 minutes from a city have more services - especially those that are “regional centres” (largest settlement within 30 minute drive).
Over the last decade, most towns close to a city grew even though half of all villages in Europe and more than 40% of its towns have lost population. Service provision does not appear to counteract the negative demographic trends that are occurring at the same time that population is concentrating in and around cities. Going forward, even more settlements and regions in Europe and across the OECD will experience population decline and ageing. Service provision in towns and villages will need to adjust to these new demographic realities and the associated smaller budgets. Shrinking places may need to seek creative solutions for services that can be delivered virtually or cooperate to combine services with nearby towns or cities.
Transport connectivity also matters for the accessibility of services. This report finds that public transport can help people reach the services located in central places. Towns with better public transport connectivity in the surrounding area have more services, while towns or villages with better car connectivity actually have fewer services, especially villages that are not regional centres. Faster driving times do not necessarily increase services in small settlements because drivers may travel farther distances to larger settlements. However, better (public) transport connectivity to regional centres, towns and cities can help promote access for everyone.
Outside cities, government policies need to balance cost, quality, and accessibility of services. The conditions for service delivery are usually easier for regions with larger cities compared to more rural regions. To make sure everyone can get services, governments can strengthen the provision of local services that should be easy to access – like elementary schools and primary medical care – while consolidating specialised services in nearby regional centres. Vibrant and functional small settlements are particularly important for older individuals and people with socioeconomic disadvantage living in or near these towns and villages.
