The subject of this thesis is to improve the sight in the centre of Koski Tl by Hämeen Härkätie. This thesis includes the management and development plan for the area. The development plan is supposed to be implemented with the help of local citizens. The commissioner of this thesis was Kosken Yrittäjät ry (Koski Tl enterpreneurs). On the basis of this management and development plan a project will be made to finance the operations needed to put this development plan into practice. The finance for the project will be claimed from the European Unions rural development fund through the Leader programme.

In the theoretical frame the birth and development of the Finnish rural villages and the background of the Leader programme were handled. In studying the history of finnish villages it was made clear how they have ended to the looks of today. In this thesis there are also some words about the history of the centre of Koski and the results of the invention of the planning area. The application for the Leader project and the information that is demanded is handled in this thesis as well as criteria for the Leader projects.

Research methods were observing ang taking photos during the time between March and November 2015. The functional part of the thesis is Koski´s management and development plan made so that it can be used as a basis for the project plan.

Based on the research it can be stated that people are interested in improving their own neighbourhood and they are willing to work for it. With the help of the Leader project fund active societies can implement the wishes of the citizens without using public money. This raises societies beside the public administration as series actors. In this thesis information which is needed in the Leader project was collected. Meaning is that this thesis, or part of it, can be used later in similar Leader projects as a model.