Abstract
Estonian and Latvian rural inhabitants enjoy many factors enhancing the quality of life, such as the peace and quiet of the countryside, fresh food and rural activities. However, these benefits are insufficient to overcome poor employment prospects in rural areas. Place-shaping practices have transformative powers that are instrumental in achieving sustainable change in communities. The process of reappreciating local landscapes creates memories of positive associations with symbolic meaning; it helps inhabitants to strengthen their sense of place identity and re-grounds their appreciation into a specific local context. Sustainable rural futures require conditions where inhabitants feel listened to and that are responsive to their needs. They also require inspirational leaders to facilitate change and create networks of opportunities, linking inhabitants to the outside world and resources. Leaders may play an important role of re-positioning local communities for the future, creating new experiences or new opportunities, which further feeds re-appreciation of place and enhances quality of life. In order to understand the main issues of the rural areas, two villages with active rural projects in Estonia and Latvia were selected to analyse the role that leaders play in the development of the area and the barriers to a more sustainable approach.
Highlights
Landscapes are containers of collective memories and experiences that shape the identity of inhabitants over time; they provide a sense of place [1]
Interviewees indicated a connection to the rural nature of their landscape, the feeling of freedom and the happy memories they have associated with the place, with many expressing place attachment through a deep sense of home
Lyons [24] highlighted that a fundamental aspect of place-shaping is social well-being where social capital, or social cohesiveness, is built and people experience a good quality of life
Summary
Landscapes are containers of collective memories and experiences that shape the identity of inhabitants over time; they provide a sense of place [1]. Sense of place is an evolving process where place attachment and place identity combine. It leads to place dependence [3] as its functional value meets the needs and goals of inhabitants [4]. Place is constructed for social and economic purposes through the result of actions that people take in a certain area; it is a community process where shared values lead to a community or regional identity [2,5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
