Welfare service in rural areas: Service adjustments and plans for future development

Many rural municipalities are challenged due to overall population decline and demographic changes and thus need to make adjustment to municipal services. Demographic profiles are central for assessing both needs, place bound resources and development potential of individual localities.Assessment of development potential for individual localities using a place-based approach is in line with EU policies for rural development thereby setting a competitive framework for local development.
This paper addresses place bound approaches in relation to service adjustment and discusses how local resources and place bound potentials are identified and how they are addressed in plans for future development. The paper draws on a study on service adjustments in rural municipalities in Denmark examining how service adjustments e.g. closing of local schools are decided, how they are managed by rural communities and whether service adjustments are incorporated in municipal plans for strategic development. 
Keywords: place bound potential, development in rural communities, municipal services and strategic planning.