Overburdened Urbanization
In Western countries, around 75 percent of people live in cities, and the urban population is growing steadily in emerging and third world countries – over 50 percent of the world’s population already lives in cities. Cities cover only two percent of the earth’s surface but use 75 percent of energy and are also responsible for 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
The increasing urbanization leads to an imbalance, resulting in many challenges for the economy, society and politics. The overarching global challenges facing all companies today revolve around sustainability, centralization, and the impacts of climate change. This is where the ES VICIS Foundation comes in: by developing solutions to sustainably counter ongoing urbanization and support communities in structurally weak regions. In Switzerland and worldwide.
Rural Depopulation: A Lost Cause?
Rural exodus has similar effects worldwide. Young people move to cities in search of educational or job opportunities, leading to an aging rural population and a shortage of skilled workers for local businesses. The dramatic decline in infrastructure, culture, retail, and public transport creates a vicious cycle, driving more people to leave. As a result, essential investments and services, such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure, are further impacted, and narratives of community expulsion intensify. However, there are latent, untapped opportunities and shortages of products and services that could drive socio-economic development. Additionally, there are numerous local programs and support initiatives that could be offered, but a lack of local cohesion and operational organization in communities hinders their ability to receive these resources. To make this happen, trust and social cohesion must first be established.
Banner Photo Credit: SAO PAULO, BRAZIL, 2005. The Paraisópolis favela borders the affluent district of Morumbi in São Paulo, Brazil (Photo: Tuca Vieira)
Local
Switzerland experiences pronounced internal migration. As a highly developed Western country, it is seeing a slight slowdown in urbanization trends. However, structurally weak rural regions, such as mountainous areas, face significant challenges. Currently, 85 percent of Switzerland’s population lives in urban areas. Young people move to urban regions due to limited job opportunities and higher wages. Conversely, these regions lack the workforce needed for economic growth, exacerbating demographic shifts towards an aging society. Structurally weak regions offer few opportunities for education and training, and geographically peripheral communities have inadequate or outdated infrastructure in mobility, education, healthcare, and cultural and social facilities.