Sand in Taufers, South Tyrol, Italy

The market township Sand in Taufers has an area of 164.47 km² and 5,100 inhabitants that are divided amongst the five fractions (villages) and Sand, Mühlen, Kematen, Ahornach and Rein. Their high alpine location in Tauferer Ahrntal, close to the city of Bruneck, with 11 lakes and 68 rivers makes the municipality predestined for tourism, whereby summer tourism is more pronounced. But also handcraft and trade, industry, agriculture and last but not least the service sector are of great economic importance.

Sand in Taufers started its renewal movement in 2000. It is based on the insight that education and further education are the key to a sustainable municipal development and that the wealth of ideas of the citizens along with the areas of unspoiled nature and economically favourable location represent the most valuable resources of the municipality. Not only this approach impressed the jury but also the holistic approach and the high degree of thematic, special and intercommunal networks coupled with exemplary social innovations.

Consequently education initiatives are a recurring theme throughout the areas of activity: A „cooperative for further education“generates two education programmes a year and the municipality awards education checks to the citizens instead of certificates or shopping vouchers.A multifunctional library that offers new media and several education centres with modern class rooms create ideal conditions for the 80 further education events with 900 participants.

In the process great value is placed on the qualifications of the employees of the municipal council to enable them deal with their tasks suitably for a community with a high citizen participation. Commitment and initiative of the population are not only allowed in Sand but also seen as an important driving element for the development processes that politics and administration have to support – by means of infrastructure, by means of training to qualify for participation and by means of lectures by experts and impulse events that offer help in deciding and animate an involvement with the new themes.

A further development focus is place on the area of creating an awareness, providing information and action on the theme of renewable energy and energy saving. Energy concepts: low energy houses and the use of wind energy, water, geothermal energy and photovoltaic are only some keywords that describe the extent and quality of the implemented measures. They are supplemented by an agricultural biogas plant producing electricity which is known outside of North Italy and by a House of Energy which is being realised.

Highlights in the economic and agricultural sectors are, along with others, the cheese festival that attracts 10,000 visitors a year which boosts trade and tourism and also the agricultural milk production and the „Ahrntaler Aktivbauernhöfe“ (Ahrntal Active Farms), that focuses on attractive offers and professional marketing in regard to farm accommodations for guests. Noteworthy is also the communal and sustainability directed tourist concept that sees on the hand trade and nature and on the other guests and locals as equal partners and very clearly relies on synergies through networks.

Impressive in the area of nature conservation are a newly created nature studies path, numerous nature reserves and biotopes as well as a very successful conversion of the open air swimming pool to a lake. Special mention should also made of the „Naturparkhaus“ (natural preserve house) in the village centre of Sand in Taufers, that describes the uniqueness of this mountain world in all of its aspects. It is almost self explanatory that the creation of an awareness for the local natural treasures and the value of an intact environment already starts to take place at kindergarten and at school.

In conjunction with settlement design there are numerous projects to be brought forward not lastly the qualitative renovation of many buildings that characterise the village image and the creation of an attractive centre that is suitable for many citizen friendly functions. The clever traffic concept is outstanding. Motorised traffic is curtailed and bikes and pedestrians are encouraged and company initiatives for the reduction in traffic by their employees is supported and recompensed. An additional plus in traffic reduction is almost finished: Starting in November 2008 a city bus driven by renewable energy will connect the village centre of Taufers with the surrounding residential areas.

Despite the dominance of a breathtaking scenery the intellectual and material appreciation of art and culture enjoy a high standing in Sand in Taufers. A corresponding lighthouse project is represented by the intercommunal „Kulturmeile“(cultural mile) that contains 31 attractive and informative signposted sites of culturally historical, settlement historical, economically historical or art historical significance. The individual attractions were finally put together in a widely recognised paperback and published on the internet. The cultural mile therefore provides an important contribution to the preservation of old knowledge and traditional cultural techniques and proves to be identity creative to a high degree.

A tight network of well functioning and contemporary social facilities reflects a correspondence to the motto “Win the future through social innovation” and significantly improves the quality of life of all generations and both sexes in Sand in Taufers. The activities and services range from taking care of the old, summer kindergarten, municipal old people’s flats and “meals on wheels” and “open youth work” to women’s circles with discussions, motivations and further education – for example for young entrepreneurs -, “house for Brazil” and other donation activities, all of which are implemented with an intensive citizen participation.

Sand in Taufers stands out for a multitude of projects which are networked, coordinated, and integrated into communal, regional and international concepts and can be seen as prominent stations on the road to a future oriented and democratically based educational municipality with a high standard of living. Social, economic, cultural and ecological aspects are treated equally which in combination with a very distinctive problem awareness, especially for concerns about climate protection and for new requirements resulting from a permanent social change and a clear innovation orientation strengthen the conviction that in Sand in Taufers a sustainable development process has been put into action that will yield a lot of success.

Evaluated: 2008