Torup

Torup, situated on a peninsula between sea and fjord 60 km to the North West of Copenhagen, with its 372 inhabitants, is a hub of many diverse initiatives and activities, including a music hall, Torup Booktown with second-hand books and cultural events, Farmers' Market, Repair Cafe, common village dinners, a commuter-hub with common office space, alternative transport, a local council, a Tools&Talents bank, and Folkeuniversitetet, i.e. a local branch of the Danish University Extension.
Such initiatives build on a strong local tradition, which has resulted, inter alia, in a parent-initiated school and kindergarten, a common meeting house, an intensely restored railway station, and a utility building containing a café, a bakery, and an organic shop. Instrumental to some of these developments were a group of people, who moved in to form a community based on organic principles, 35 years ago. Over the years, this particular part of the village has turned into a highly attractive enclave.

The above-mentioned examples build on local initiatives and local competences. This also applies to the recent major step in terms of expanding the village with 80 new eco-homes over the next few years: new houses are being built, and families have moved in.
To this end, a group of locals established a fund, Torupfonden, to acquire the land, rather than leaving this to outside investors. This has resulted in a new part of the village, including a smart, sustainable, and common heating system; an innovative common sewage treatment system; and separation of rainwater for household use. Civil society takes the lead.
In short, we respect and build on the LEADER principles in terms of our approach to locally driven sustainable rural development. With this backdrop, Torup obtained the 2019 Danish National Village of the Year award, and Torup is one of the very few Warm Zones in Denmark, i.e. a village which is growing.