News.

In the first phase of the amalgamation reform 160 local governments were merged (47 merged regions). 23 local governments fulfill the legal minimum criterion of 5000 inhabitants and 26 local governments do not fulfill it and do not apply for amalgamation. 19 local governments in eight region are merging although they do not fulfill...

On the 14th of March 2017 the Vision Conference entitled “Let’s add some momentum to the wheels” (Annami tsõõrilõ vunki mano) took place in the Võru cultural center Kannel. The conference included plenary presentations and workshops. One of the workshops focusing on the question “How to breathe new life into the heritage conservation areas...

On the 22nd of March 2017, Geomedia consultant Rivo Noorkõiv and Cumulus Consulting consultant Mihkel Laan are conducting a training on “Preparing amalgamation in local government units”. The training’s objective is to assist local government units to successfully prepare before the upcoming municipality council elections in October 2017. The training will deal with important topics...

The first phase of the amalgamation reform has now been finalized. In the course of the amalgamation negotiations, decision were taken about the formation of new local government units. The achieved agreements determine the number of inhabitants, the territorial configuration and the area of the future urban and rural municipalities. However, now it is...

Sociologist Ivi Proos and human geographer Rivo Noorkõiv discuss in the amalgamation reform blog how the amalgamation reform and the merger of local government units influence village communities and which opportunities communities have to take part in the merger negotiations. What influences peoples attitudes towards rural and urban municipality mergers, why are their opinions so...

On March, 15-16 2017, the annual “Urban and Rural Municipality Days” were held for the 13th time. During the fair-conference like event, many seminars, topical workshops and discussions took place. Although the target group were above all municipality leaders and specialist in the field, also officials from state institutions and the public sector, entrepreneurs...

Geomedia PhD student Bianka Plüschke-Altof will publicly defend her dissertation on the 28^th of December 2017 at 13:15 at the University of Tartu (Oeconomicum, J. Liivi 4-214). Under the title “Images of the Periphery Impeding Rural Development?” the dissertation treats the peripheralization of Estonian rural areas under a new perspective. The current discussion on the administrative...

Tartu city government draws up the new development plan for Tartu 2018-2025. It is constituted on the basis of the development strategy Tartu 2030 and the still valid city development plan until the year 2020. The objective is to specify the central topics for the city’s future and update the action plan. The decisions...

On the 23rd of March 2017 a representative conference on “25 years of social work in Tallinn – how to go on?” took place in Tallinn. At the plenary, Geomedia consultant Rivo Noorkõiv presented on and discussed the topic of “The Future of Social Work – into the hands of citizens?” Estonia is...

On the 30th of November 2016, the general annual meeting the Mulgimaa Development Centre took place in Valma village, Viljandi parish. At the meeting, current development projects and the future development strategy for the historical region of Mulgimaa were discussed. The meeting also included a presentation by Geomedia PhD student...