Demographic change

Demographic change is leading to a decline in the population and a significantly ageing society in large parts of Hesse. While particularly high population declines are expected in the rural areas of northern and central Hesse in particular, the population in the urban areas of southern Hesse will continue to increase and the ageing process of society there will be more moderate.

At the same time, the number of households in Hesse will continue to rise in the coming years - with the exception of the rural regions of northern and central Hesse - despite the declining population. Demographic changes will have a major impact on housing requirements, but also on the design of housing and the living environment. In conjunction with the increasingly individualised living patterns in our society, this is leading to very differentiated housing needs that require flexible, adaptable structures.

It is already clear that the housing construction sector will be characterised less by new construction in the future and much more by conversion, modernisation and adaptation to changing needs (including in connection with an ageing society).

Vacant buildings, partly due to demographic factors and partly due to structural change, must also be taken into account. Their reutilisation is very important from an urban planning and village development perspective, but also represents a particular challenge. The resulting design opportunities, for example to safeguard listed buildings, to preserve a historically evolved townscape, to save energy, but also to ensure the economical use of land resources, must be utilised.

The economy, energy, transport and regional development sectors are affected by demographic change in a variety of ways.

Demography in Hesse

Hesse faced up to these challenges at an early stage: In 2003, the Hessian state parliament was the first state parliament to set up a commission of enquiry on demographic change.