1st Edition
Rural Accessibility in European Regions
Rural Accessibility in European Regions explores concepts, methodologies, and case studies dealing with accessibility in European rural areas, embracing cultural, socioeconomic, and governance aspects that play a key role for accessibility policies in rural and peripheral areas.
In the first part, the chapters introduce rural accessibility challenges, present a methodology to support policymaking for enhancing accessibility in rural areas and apply it to case studies in the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. In the second part, additional cases from Poland, Germany, Greece, and France provide alternative approaches to the topic, and a research agenda is proposed. Overall, the book contributes to a conceptualisation of rural accessibility, addressing challenges and potentials for rural accessibility and urban–rural relationships in European regions.
The book fills a gap in the existing bodies of literature on accessibility and on rural planning, bridging the two spheres with an interdisciplinary approach to rural accessibility for mobility, planning, and regional studies.
Table of Contents
List of Contributors
Foreword by Luis Camarero and Jesús Oliva
Editors’ Preface
Acknowledgments
- Rural Accessibility in European Regions: Exploring Uncharted Territory
- Accessibility Challenges in European Rural Regions
- A Multilayer Approach to Support Policymaking Towards Greater Accessibility
- Accessibility and Urban-Rural Connectivity in Marina Alta, Spain: Raising Awareness, Identifying Key Policies
- Accessibility and Social Exclusion in Peripheral Territories: The Case of Scarborough, United Kingdom
- Improving Accessibility to Reverse Marginalisation Processes in Valle Arroscia, Italy
- Commuting and Labour Market Challenges in Swedish Sparsely Populated Areas
- Accessibility Dimensions and Changes in North-Eastern Poland: The Case of Podlaskie Region
- Production Modes, Urban-Rural Relations, and Rural Transport: North Pelion vis-à-vis Volos, Greece
- "Bottom-Up" Mobility Services: Experiences with Community Transport in Germany
- Bridging Tactics and Strategies for Mobility in Mountain Areas: The Example of Briançon, France
- Learning from Experience: Towards a Research Agenda on Rural Accessibility
Part I. Urban-Rural Connectivity: Understanding Phenomena, Framing Policies
Part II. Taking Up the Challenge: Experiences Across EU
Biography
Elisabetta Vitale Brovarone is a postdoctoral research fellow in spatial planning at Politecnico di Torino, Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST). Her research focuses on mobility, land use–transport interaction, and accessibility. She is also interested in governance and local development in metropolitan, rural, and mountain areas. On these topics, she authored several publications, has had professional experiences, and took part in international research projects, among which are the recent Interreg ALCOTRA ARTACLIM – Adaptation and resilience to climate change in mountain areas, ESPON URRUC – Urban-Rural Connectivity in Non-Metropolitan Regions and ESPON METRO – The role and future perspectives of Cohesion Policy in the planning of Metropolitan Areas and Cities.
Giancarlo Cotella is an Associate Professor in spatial planning at Politecnico di Torino. His research focuses on European Union Territorial Governance, in particular on the mutual influence between European Spatial Planning and the territorial governance and spatial planning systems of the Member States. He published widely in the international scientific literature and took an active part in several international research projects, among which are the recent ESPON COMPASS – Comparative analysis of territorial governance and spatial planning systems in Europe, ESPON URRUC – Urban-Rural Connectivity in Non-Metropolitan Regions, ESPON SUPER – Sustainable Urbanization and Land-use Practices in the European Regions and ESPON METRO – The role and future perspectives of Cohesion Policy in the planning of Metropolitan Areas and Cities.
Luca Staricco is an Associate Professor in Spatial Planning at Politecnico di Torino. His main research fields are related to interactions between mobility and land use, coordination of spatial and transport planning, transit-oriented development, sustainable mobility, liveability of urban spaces, regional and urban resilience. He has been involved in several European research projects, among which are EU FP7 POCACITO – Post carbon cities of tomorrow, INTERREG Alcotra ARTACLIM – Adaptation and resilience to climate change in Alpine regions and ESPON URRUC – Urban-Rural Connectivity in Non-Metropolitan Regions.
"The notion of urban mobility has virtually dominated European transport planning practice and research. This book explores the antipodes of such concept and critically presents to its readers the notion of rural accessibility. What this book begins to show is central for European spatial cohesion policy and, I dare to say, perhaps even for the long-term social and economic viability of the European project."
- António Ferreira, Principal Researcher at CITTA: Centre for Research on Territory, Transports and Environment, University of Porto, Portugal
"This publication provides nuanced insights into the contexts and conditions of rural accessibility in Europe. The interdisciplinary perspectives offered by the authors lead to balanced views and contribute to more equitable and efficient policymaking. The cases and experiences provided are especially relevant for readers in both practice and academia."
- Wendy Tan, Senior lecturer, Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning, Environmental Sciences Group, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
