Krimp: in de kern een economisch verschijnsel, dus ook economische regie

Demographic shrinkage often finds its cause in regional economics and occurs in two distinctly different forms. Regional demographic shrinkage is caused by lack of work or study opportunities, and forces youth to move out of the region for study or for work. Local (solitary) demographic shrinkage is caused by inaccessibility of the overpriced housing market, and forces youth to leave the municipality to find affordable housing elsewhere. Municipalities experiencing the effects of demographic shrinkage are distinctly and significantly different from non-shrinking municipalities and distinguish themselves negatively for a variety of demographic, economic and spatial characteristics.
Demographic shrinkage can be characterised as a so-called 'wicked problem'. 'Wicked problems' are extremely difficult to resolve because of their layers of complexity. Thorough analyses and moving forward in small steps are essential requirements to deal with this type of problems. As an applied strategy to deal with regional demographic shrinkage as a 'wicked problem', we explore an approach to tempt college and university graduates to opt for a future in their home region. We consider the potential effect that this approach could have for the region of Zuidoost Drenthe, in the northeastern part of the Netherlands, by calculating the costs and benefits for different outcomes. Even by obtaining only modest results, the financial benefits outweigh the costs considerably. The (positive) effect of this approach can be demonstrated using different statistical techniques. However, additional methods of monitoring are required to evaluate the progress and provide the means to adjust the course of action.