Ideally, the administration in rural areas becomes a partner of the citizens it is responsible for. The tasks of local authorities cover a broad spectrum, from order and safety (through police and an efficient fire service) to education (through a sufficient number of primary and secondary schools) and healthcare (through quick and easy access to GPs, specialists and hospitals). The local administration assumes government responsibilities in its jurisdiction, develops draft resolutions for the town or city council and executes measures decided by the council. It processes applications, pays state benefits, runs nursery schools, libraries and public swimming pools, repairs roads and takes care of housing planning. 

That is why municipalities play such an important role in the competition of towns and regions. An agile and business-friendly administration can be the decisive factor for both established companies and entrepreneurs looking for a suitable location. The more efficient and citizen-oriented an administration is, the more elbow room people have and the more attractive the town is as a business location. Besides, for quite some time now, citizens have had much higher expectations. In the digital age, incomprehensible forms to fill out, long queues and drawn-out administrational processes are not up to standard any more. Not only in the city but also in the countryside, the calls for a fast, citizen-oriented, transparent and service-oriented administration are becoming more and more urgent. 

Increased transparency and new opportunities for participation go a long way, too. Municipalities could, for instance, provide easy-to-understand visualisations of current budget data. And there is a multitude of interactive formats through which citizens could contribute ideas and give feedback. With a local administration that acts as an effective problem solver, rural areas enjoy a real locational advantage that helps drive regional development. 

That could be relevant for a sector that is inextricably linked to rural areas. After all, the countryside is not only a place to relax for weary city dwellers, tourists and commuters, it is also an immensely valuable economic area, that caters to the basic needs of the nation. In Germany, more than half the land is being used for agricultural purposes. There is no denying the fact that agriculture is important to feed the population, shape the landscape and maintain cultural landscapes in Germany.

In recent years, farmers have been burdened with an increasing amount of bureaucracy. For many farm businesses an excess of rules and regulations has made it very difficult to survive. Especially when it comes to innovative technologies, red tape is slowing things down. Even though the possibilities of smart farming are remarkable: autonomous high-tech tractors fertilise fields with a high degree of precision and efficiency, smart feeding systems improve the wellbeing of animals, and drones guarantee tailored care for each and every type of plant. 

However, for rural areas to turn into centres of high-tech agriculture, a lot still needs to be done – just like in urban areas: innovation cannot happen without a fast and reliable internet connection, financing conditions need to improve, and we need less bureaucracy and more cooperation, both between different farm businesses and between agriculture and academia. If we create the right conditions, we can make Germany more attractive for all kinds of innovation, not only in agriculture. Proactive and focussed political support can give remote rural regions the opportunity to reverse the exodus. These regions can turn into places where innovation is possible and the dream of working from the countryside and owning a house can come true. 

There is no need to try and make cities and the countryside look the same. But the conditions must be equal so that people can really choose where to live.