This thesis investigates how recreational facilities in the rural areas are planned. The urbanization of the Danish society has caused a physical and geographical change in the landscape. The consequences are an increased pressure on the rural areas due to a new recreational use. Joe Painters theory can be used to understand the urban-rural relation. Therefore his theory will be used in the discussion of planning in the rural area. Through a study of the geographic, societal and planning development, it is clear, that little experience with planning of the rural areas exists. However projects are still carried out in these areas.
To investigate this, a case study about recreational facilities is performed. It is concerned with the work and establishment of the North Jutlandic Haervej and selected North Jutlandic mountain bike projects. The case study shows, that the key words for planning of rural facilities are collaboration and economy. The collaboration has had a big impact on the completion of the projects and the economy has been one of the biggest challenges with this.
The case study is compared to known theories and expert interviews with The Danish Society for Nature Conservation and Knowledge Centre for Agriculture. In this, statements of the experts are then set in relation to the major points of the case study. The identified development of the planning are then discussed with relation to the theories of deliberative planning, networking and place qualities, which helps to explain the development in rural areas.
The study shows that the use of a project manager is a more frequently used solution to the collaboration between city councils, since the Danish counties were dissolved in 2007. Still, there are no specific guidelines as to how such collaborations most beneficially can and should be carried out. Furthermore the study shows that being dependent on external funds can imply considerable challenges for projects in rural areas.