Abstract
In recent years, local and regional governments in Europe have been facing numerous challenges resulting from the changing interplay between urban and rural areas and in particular the demographic challenges caused by progressive urbanisation. Urban and rural areas each have their own specific challenges. Usually, urban areas face increasing pollution, poverty and housing shortages, whereas rural areas struggle with demographic ageing, the emigration of young people and infrastructure challenges. At the same time, each has its own particular assets and strengths. Urban areas for innovation and economic growth, rural areas safeguarding the diversity of the environment and the quality of resources, including water and food. There is a need to pay more attention to the interdependence between urban and rural areas and suburban areas connecting them, to strengthen the relationships between all these areas and to foster their linkage to ensure greater territorial cohesion, sustainable local development and prevent further fragmentation. The report is looking at different practices and instruments to ensure more efficient territorial integration, collaboration and partnership between rural and urban areas. It addresses the changing rural-urban interplay and examine good practices of and for territorial governments to deal with the demographic, social and political challenges of urbanisation.
Report drafted with the contribution of Dr. Karl Kössler, Senior Researcher at Eurac Research (Bolzano/Bozen, Italy) and
Scientific Coordinator of the EU-Horizon 2020 project “Local Government and the Changing Urban-Rural Interplay (LoGov)” which
involves 18 partners, among them Eurac Research and the Congress. This project has received funding from the European
Union‘s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 823961