Blogs & News

2019 Idea Festival Biggest Issues Workshop: Infrastructure

23 January 2020

During the 2019 Rural Youth Project Ideas Festival, delegates were asked to identify the biggest issues in their community, collated below, in relation to the following categories: education, employment, infrastructure, health and 'other'.

These issues then formed the basis of the Design Thinking Workshop, a human-centred approach to creating new and innovative ideas, led by Rosemary Scrimgeour – who runs rural architecture practice Building Workshop with husband Ben - who is graduate of the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme (SERLP).

Infrastructure

“The bus service during the school holiday is unable to get people to town before 9:00am.”

“Some rural areas have no bus/train or even taxi options. I was happy to cycle 5 miles, but the road is a death trap.”

“Connections to public transport (to enable lower carbon travelling).”

“Lack of high-quality broadband is a barrier to entrepreneurship/change/sustainable development.”

“Good internet access.”

“Transport: frequency, affordability and accessibility.”

“Poor public transport and the expense of transport/ you feel separated from peers due to travel.”

“Consultation from council asking district as a whole to make decisions on things that will seriously impact islanders but not others in the district i.e ferry fare and service cuts.”

“Poor access to rural communities and lack of transport.”

“Isolation + connectivity = transport.”

“Hard for young people to meet and socialise when they can’t drive or don’t own a car.”

“Public transport often doesn’t cover enough areas.”

“Lack of car sharing facilities.”

“Bridging the gap - it's difficult of making people aware of the divide between urban and rural communities.”

“Lack of regular bus/transport links to other villages and towns.”

“Diversity in the countryside, people, food and work.”

“Lack of busses after 6:00pm.”

“Hour long trip to get to shops and services.”

“New building projects are lacking - it is just large housing estates. Not inspiring lack of diversity to go with it, shops, places to eat, places to meet and things to do.”

“Expensive to do things: build, travel eat healthily.”

“Poor roads are destroying our cars.”

“The availability of volunteering and gaining the practical skills from experienced people.”

“Transport is poor: infrastructure, social isolation and a rural/urban disconnect. Broadband,

lack of housing many holiday homes are often empty and there are few places to rent.”

“Slow postage for business supplies and slowing customer service.”

“Lack of green infrastructure. Can buildings be updated to be more sustainable and eco friendly?”

“Broadband: slow Wi-Fi effects uni work. Poor phone signal - I have to drive to send a text.”

“PUBLIC TRANSPORT”

“Transport bus routes are cancelled, and shops are closing as people move away.”

“Busses finishing at 9:00pm, and if the train gets in after 9, then folks are stuck and have to make alternative arrangements.”

“Trains being cancelled the next one can be up to two to three hours.”

“Accessibility to shops, bars and restaurants.”

“Not normalised to cycle for commuting (it is considered strange).”

“Islanders are often lumped in with other areas that have different needs meaning we do not get what we need.”

“Motivation which equals energy, isolated socially, shared housing, taxis.”