Low Density Territories Research Articles

Ageing in Place: Older People Identify Barriers to Remaining in Low-Density Areas

AbstractStudies involving older people as co-investigators are limited in Portugal. The main objectives of this article are: (I) Analyze the barriers identified by older people living in low-density territories that pose a challenge to ageing in place. (ii) Understand the co-research methodology as an appropriate instrument for increasing the participatory capacity of older people and improving the conditions for ageing in place. (iii) Assess the role of social networks and community support in providing informal assistance to older people in low-density territories. The study involved 14 co-researchers, who had a balanced gender representation and an average age of 64.5 years. All the co-researchers were residents of the study location and volunteered for the research. They were provided training in interview techniques and active listening, prior to the study. A total of three interviews and 23 photographs were analyzed and discussed in five focus group meetings. The participants agreed upon four types of unmet needs and developed proposals to increase their negotiating power, thereby mitigating barriers to their permanence. The co-researchers presented their proposals at two public meetings with decision-makers, managers, and members of the municipal council. The findings were a significant addition to the promotion of the co-research approach and the engagement of older adults in detecting the obstacles that hinder their secure and independent aging in their living environment.

The Creative Industries’ Role in Low-Density Territories’ Sustainability: The Douro Region

The main objective of this study is to understand the role of creative industries in the sustainability of low-density territories. Primary data were gathered from semi-structured interviews’ transcripts. The interviews were applied to five creative entrepreneurs and heads of companies belonging to the creative industries, and four heads of local institutions, namely a university, two municipalities and a business incubator. The data were processed using NVivo software. The results obtained show that creative industries can be a solution to the problems identified in low-density territories, since creative companies reduce the unemployment rate and increase the population, thus reversing the depopulation of these territories. Creative industries also value local resources and the development of the local economy, thus enabling the emergence of innovation. This research’s findings include evidence of creative industries’ significant impact on low-density regions. In addition, this study demonstrates information and evidence on the role of creativity and this sector of creative companies, as well as the influence shown by creative entrepreneurs in the development of the region. The main limitations of this study are related, on the one hand, to the subjectivity of qualitative studies, due to the fact that the results can be interpreted in several ways. On the other hand, because only one territory was studied.

Resilient and regenerative Rural Tourism: the case of Travancinha Village, Portugal

In the recent past, Portugal has suffered from devastating rural fires, particularly in its hinterland regions, with current data on climate change suggesting an increasing risk. This risk jeopardizes these regions’ living conditions, while simultaneously deterring visitors. Still, particularly small-scale, locally embedded rural tourism projects may also help introduce changes in regional landscape management and enhance community resilience. The main goal of this study is to a) analyze the importance of prevention in addressing the challenges imposed by climate change in low-density territories, specifically associated to rural fires in the inland of Portugal, and b) explore how rural tourism can contribute to the resilience and regeneration of the destination after fire-incidents. Based on a qualitative study using a constructive-interpretive case study, namely that of Travancinha village (Municipality of Seia, in Portugal’s Central Region), semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with local tourism agents, local authorities, and tourism development agents and subjected to content-analysis. Also, documents and secondary data were analysed, namely statistics and policy documents regarding measures of climate change risk prevention, combat, and mitigation. Based on this, an analysis was performed regarding the pre- and post-fire periods of 2017 and 2022. The results reveal the importance of community collaboration in rural and low-density territories, in the analyzed case, and a model of regenerative tourism, based on community resilience, is proposed. Some conditioning factors for the success of this model are also identified. munidade.

Artisan entrepreneurship: influence and network in the development of sustainable strategies in cross-border low-density territories through a Quintuple Helix paradigm

PurposeThe purpose of this study is, from the perspective of artisan entrepreneurship (AE), to understand how professional and higher education institutions, local authorities, local and cross-border cultural entities and tourism stakeholders perceive AE by collaborating in a network to develop innovative and sustainable strategies, using the Quintuple Helix innovation model.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative approach, 34 semi-structured interviews were carried out with organisations by emailing them a Google Form. The organisations interviewed were from the north-east of Portugal (Bragança, Miranda do Douro, Mogadouro, Vimioso and Vinhais) and the north of Spain (Zamora Province). The data collected was subjected to content and lexical analysis using the computerised lexical analysis software IRaMuTeQ.FindingsAE is seen as the representation of a culture where traditional crafts are the identity of a region. The practical and political implications for decision makers in the Quintuple Helix can be seen in the definition of strategies and proposals that should leverage and define regional and cross-border policies, leveraging the need for networking to define concrete measures and programmes for support and training in entrepreneurship and AE, as well as the creation and/or standardisation of existing support networks.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first study to address and deal with the issue of AE by understanding how professional and higher education institutions, local authorities, local and cross-border cultural entities perceive AE and collaborate in a network to develop innovative and sustainable strategies, through the paradigm of the Quintuple Helix model. It also combines a content analysis and a lexical analysis using computerised lexical analysis software – IRaMuTeQ.

Assessing Endokarst Potential in the Northern Sector of Santo António Plateau (Estremadura Limestone Massif, Central Portugal)

Karst is a peculiar natural landscape arising from high rock solubility and well-developed underground solutional channel porosity. It is unique for its surface relief (exokarst) and subsurface drainage, including cave systems (endokarst). In Portugal, karst areas mainly consist of marginal or low-density territories with great fragility and vulnerability and great geo-environmental richness that merits better policies and practices regarding their geo-conservation. Endokarst potential assessments can provide decision-makers and local authorities insight into present and future territorial management and planning. In this context, the main objective of this study was to produce a cartographic model to identify areas with a greater probability of containing karstic caves—i.e., a greater endokarst potential—in the northern sector of the Santo António Plateau (Estremadura Limestone Massif, Central Portugal). Geological, topographic, hydrogeological, and land cover data were collected, processed, and integrated into a spatial database using a Geographic Information System. The locations of known cave entrances in the study area were also identified from local public institutions and speleological team records. Subsequently, four conditioning factors were extracted from the data: lithostratigraphic units, fracture density, relief energy, and land cover. Using a multi-criteria decision-making analysis, each previously chosen conditioning factor and its respective classes were weighted using an analytic hierarchy process. The locations of known cave entrances served to evaluate the cartographic model built, with results showing an agreement of 81.9%. This prototype of the endokarst potential map for the study area may be used for strategic and operational environmental planning (at least on a local scale) to assist decision-makers, competent authorities, and local speleological teams. Its application may promote a more accurate and thoughtful definition of areas to be investigated, substantially reducing the time and costs associated with field prospecting.

Residents’ perceptions of the impacts of tourism in the Azores archipelago (Portugal): A cluster analysis

The tourism industry has been increasingly viewed as an essential component of development processes, especially in certain low-density territories and islands. In turn, it is clear that residents play a fundamental role in the quality of tourists’ experiences and, consequently, for the success of a tourism destination. In this research, a cluster analysis was used to segment the residents of the Azores Archipelago (Portugal) in function of their perceptions of the impacts of the tourism industry. The analysis revealed the existence of three clusters: Optimistic residents, which corresponded to the large majority of the respondents; Moderately Optimistic residents; and Unconvinced residents. The results are in conformity with the common findings in the empirical literature, in particular in the case of emergent tourism destinations. Regional and national authorities should be aware of these results when designing their policies, in particular when pursuing sustainable development strategies.

Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Low-Density Territories: The i3Social Project

The last decade has seen a significant increase in economic and social inequalities, especially in Portugal's inland territories. As a consequence, the increase in social needs is increasingly evident in low-density territories. In this sense, social entrepreneurs have an important role in society, to the extent that, by having more direct contact with their surroundings, they are also more alert to identify needs, which until then have not had the necessary response from public policies. Thus, social entrepreneurship, allied with innovation, can serve as a "tool" to meet social needs, as well as help combat depopulation. Thus, this work shows the social entrepreneurship activities developed within the i3Social project, which aims to clarify the aspects and dynamics of social entrepreneurship to create social businesses. In this sense, this work also seeks to give an overview of what social entrepreneurship involves, i.e., in practical terms, to show that there is a path that should and must be followed for the business idea to become effective and successful in the social intervention market.

Educational pathways, tourism and geoconservation. The network of trails of the Estrela Geopark in the dissemination of science, heritage and tourism sustainability

The Estrela Geopark, through the development of programmes and both educational and interpretative routes, aims to stimulate contact with the geological and geomorphological heritage of the Serra da Estrela territory, in an outdoor learning approach that educates and raises awareness of the importance of geoconservation, heritage enhancement and tourism sustainability. As such, the understanding of the history and evolution of the Earth and life is promoted in a natural mountain laboratory context. The educational programmes of the Estrela Geopark, designed in accordance with the curricular programmes of primary and secondary schools in Portugal, promote outdoor activities on the geographic knowledge of the Estrela mountain, its resources and the environmental implications for the local life styles and the impact generated by tourist practices in the territory. Geoeducation and geotourism have gained relevance in tourism development projects, especially in low density territories with recognised heritage value. Guided interpretation of the territory can contribute to the construction of learning about how to value endogenous resources, the landscape and the strategies for developing tourism. This study aims to describe differentiated methodologies and strategies for outdoor learning to identify ways of disseminating knowledge, particularly of the geosciences, to not only encourage the identification of attitudes of geoconservation and valorization of resources for sustainable tourism, but also promote stronger local identities.

A Review of the Promotion of Sustainable Mobility of Workers by Industries

The evolution and growth of cities present considerable challenges to the promotion of sustainable mobility, namely in commuting trips. In the present and recent past, many industries and companies of the economy’s productive sector have had to move as far as possible from urban areas, to minimize the impact of their activities on people’s health and quality of life. In more dispersed and low-density territories, working and residential areas are very far from each other, and there is typically poor public transport service and a lack of cycling networks for commuting purposes. This scenario encourages the use of private automobiles, not only as a necessity but also often as an obligation, making the mobility system nearly unsustainable. Therefore, it has become clear that companies can play an important role in promoting more sustainable mobility by reducing car use on commuting trips and by offering employees clean and more efficient transport alternatives to promote workers’ well-being and quality of life. Through an extensive literature review, a selection of scientific articles in the last 13 years was analyzed and discussed. The results highlighted that the location of industrial areas, the supply of public transport, the usage of active modes, and shared mobility systems are key factors to reduce car usage in workers’ commuting trips. Therefore, any sustainable mobility strategies that companies adopt will minimize the respective negative externalities, helping promote more environment-friendly ways of transportation, accessibility, social equity, and inclusion in workers’ communities. This justifies the need and urgency for the development of specific sustainable mobility plans oriented for companies/industries, instead of addressing this as just another element of a conventional urban mobility plan. Since this mobility represents a high volume of trips, repeated according to very regular patterns, it must be sustainability-oriented, allowing the improvement of system, trip, and vehicle efficiency.

The (wasted) potential of digital communication in low-density destinations: the case of three Portuguese municipalities

PurposeThis study aims to assess the online presence of three Portuguese low-density territories and analyze the communication strategies employed by public and private entities within each municipality. The alignment between public and private entities within each municipality is also examined as a potential factor that could impact the effectiveness of digital communication strategies.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative methodology that employed content analysis and interviews to gather data from selected public and private entities in each of the municipalities under study was used.FindingsDespite the widespread availability of digital communication tools, the municipalities under study are yet to fully exploit their potential to promote and publicize their offerings. This could be attributed to several factors such as a lack of knowledge and/or resources and a defective strategic approach to digital communication.Practical implicationsThe major obstacle in maximizing the potential of digital communication tools in low-density destinations was not solely a result of restricted access. Rather, it was largely due to insufficient knowledge and resources required for their effective utilization, coupled with a lack of aligned vision among various stakeholders.Originality/valueThe competitive landscape in which tourist actors operate has transformed significantly because of the widespread adoption of digital communication led by social networks. However, studies exploring digital communication in low-density territories are still scarce. This study adds new insights into the main factors that hinder the efficient use of digital communication in these regions.

Redefining marginality on Italian Apennines: an approach to reconsider the notion of basic needs in low density territories.

The concept of basic needs and essential services evolves according to sociocultural parameters. Therefore, defining marginality based on the distance from a predefined set of services, institutionally considered essential for life, may lead to an unfocused representation of marginal and more fragile areas.
 This work focuses on a territory located on the Apennine of the Province of Piacenza, northern Italy. These mountainous areas are characterized by significant shrinking processes, ageing population, low income and educational rate, unemployment, and by work/study-related mobility practices over long distances and at high speed, revealing low levels of attractivity and significant dependence on more dynamic areas of the region. Moreover, according to the National Italian Strategy for Inner Areas, they have been identified as inner areas because of the high distance from main services.
 Starting from quantitative research based on availability, location, and accessibility to a set of services considered essential, the present work aims to reconsider and integrate this desk-based approach with an on-site qualitative survey, thanks to interviews with inhabitants and persons with special knowledge of the territory as well as participant observation.
 The hypothesis is that, particularly in low density and peripheral areas, a mixed-methods research methodology that includes the accounts of populations and local stakeholders may help to extend the knowledge of their actual needs and their willingness to travel, thus reconsidering their accessibility to what they perceive as essential services and, consequently, redefining the notion of marginal and fragile territories.

Post-pandemic opportunities for low-density territories: insights and implications from Portuguese case studies

ABSTRACT In the complex context of the current social and economic challenges worsened by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the discussion on ‘a future for all places’ has gained momentum. Nonetheless, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the specific challenges and opportunities of less populated, peripheral, and economically backward territories. Using STEEP (social, technological, economic, environmental and political) as underpinning framework and a qualitative case-study approach, this study focuses on the pandemic’s impact on Low-Density Territories (LDTs), often overlooked in research. By gathering insights from three case studies through in-depth interviews with regional stakeholders and field experts, secondary data and policy practices, this study pinpoints development opportunities created or accelerated by the pandemic, namely new working trends, digitalisation and technology adoption, cooperation and innovation, and new perceptions about the importance of LDTs. The findings stress the importance of adapting planning and regional development research and strategies to a post-pandemic scenario to seize the opportunities identified and break spatial inequalities affecting these territories. Besides, by applying a place-based approach it provides important implications for policy-makers, highlighting several recommendations and examples of local policy answers that other LDTs can adapt to in a post-pandemic reality.

Slow Tourism: Crossing Emigrants Perceptions with Land-Uses in Portugal Mainland

Local communities' expectations and perceptions provide fundamental directions for sustainability development. Bearing in mind the relevance of these premise, the current article intends to assess Portuguese emigrants' intentions in public policies' territorial growth of low-density territories. Contextually, this investigation has used direct and indirect research tools and methods as a questionnaire and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Throughout this research, it was possible to understand that public policies do not consider it in the most needed areas of Portugal's mainland since are more related to tourism development and a rural lifestyle.

Tourism information platform for low-density territories: the Douro region

Tourism information platform for low-density territories: the Douro region

Tourism information platform for low-density territories: the Douro region

Tourism information platform for low-density territories: the Douro region

Uncertainty and expectations in Portugal's tourism activities. Impacts of COVID-19

Portugal has established itself as one of the most competitive tourist destinations in the world. The tourist destination, which comprises the mainland territory and two archipelagos, enjoyed unprecedented, sustained growth in tourist activity in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has had serious repercussions on the national tourism system, although government measures have been implemented to mitigate the impacts. The results for tourist accommodation show that after the first phase of the pandemic there was a slight recovery of some tourism activity indicators, mainly in more consolidated destinations: Algarve and Madeira. The low-density territories with peri-urban and rural features, very much leaning towards nature tourism (Alentejo and Central Portugal) suffered a less severe impact on tourism demand, and domestic tourism was able to mitigate some negative effects. The data is organized using year-on-year variation, considering the years 2019 and 2020. The conclusions seek to make proposals for the recovery of post-COVID-19 tourism and define some of the ways forward.

Urban perimeters issues in low-density areas

In the domain of spatial planning, there is a concern to preserve the territory whilst ensuring a proper expansion of urban perimeters. Cities, towns and villages should be contained within urban perimeters for building and urbanization purposes. The concept of urban perimeter is defined as the closed polygonal line demarcating the continuous territory of urban land-use. The spatial planning instruments should define the urban land-use referring to areas totally or partially urbanized or built. Regarding low-density territories with a greater propensity to urban sprawl and population ageing, the previously mentioned rules are not always met. Thus, this study focuses on the case of the Interior region of Portugal classified as low-density territory. Here the number of inhabitants is decreasing with low demand for urban spaces. However, the urban perimeters were mainly defined without being based on territorial features, topographic mapping or ecological sensitive areas. Thus, for a diversity of aspects, there are inappropriate areas to build that were wrongly included as part of urban areas, creating as a result urban void. One main reason for this problem are the topographic conditions that don’t fit with the urbanization and building requirements in urban perimeters. In this sense, this research aims to describe the articulation between the urbanization and building processes, under the rules of the Municipal Master Plans, regarding the topographic features of urban perimeters. The conclusion shows that the most sloped areas are those that were less sought after for urbanization, however these zones comprise a significant part of the urban perimeters. Finally, there is the need to stress that in low-density territories, many urban voids will never be urbanized.

The Impact of Higher Education Institutions in Low-Density Territories

This article highlights the relevance of the location of HEIs in low-density territories in Portugal, using the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre as a case study. Based on the American Council Education model and following a surveying approach to faculty, staff, and students, this research accounts for the total spending of incoming academics, other nonlocal university members and their visitors, that positively impacts regional development. A demand-side approach was followed so that indirect and induced effects could also be estimated. The main aim of this research paper is to quantify the total impact arising from the location of the Polytechnic in a given region, measured by economic and social indicators such as the financial return from public funds invested in the region, the number of jobs created, and the impact on the local gross domestic product. The results show an impact of more than EUR 17 million in the territory where the Polytechnic operates, representing 3.68% of the local GDP. The institution was also found to be the third major employer in the region, responsible for the creation of 471 jobs that account for 2.25% of the local economically active population.

Neo-rural small entrepreneurs’ motivations and challenges in Portugal’s low density regions

Purpose This study sought to fill a gap in the literature by examining the dynamics of neo-rural small entrepreneurs’ business activities as little research has been done on these individuals. The research was conducted in three of Portugal’s low density territories (i.e. Miranda do Douro, Penamacor and Aljezur), focusing on understanding these outsider entrepreneurs’ main motivations and challenges after they decide to leave the city to settle in rural areas and become small business owners. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected in semi-structured interviews with 26 neo-rural entrepreneurs. The multiple-case study method was applied to assess the differences and similarities between the interviewees and their respective contexts. NVivo 11.0 software was used to conduct content analysis. Findings The results reveal that rural environments appear to attract these new entrepreneurs for various reasons, such as taking advantage of business opportunities, searching for a better quality of life and responding to family needs. The multiple motives contributing to the need for change and entrepreneurship fit well within social cognitive theory. However, these individuals subsequently experience difficulties related mainly to a lack of infrastructure, little preexisting knowledge, a need for financial capital and the absence of the right workforce. Originality/value The findings on the experiences, difficulties and challenges of neo-rural entrepreneurs constitute new contributions because few existing studies have concentrated on migration and/or immigration entrepreneurship in rural contexts. The results can serve as a starting point for other similar studies.

Accessibility to urgent and emergency care services in low-density territories: the case of Baixo Alentejo, Portugal.

Access to health care is a sensitive issue in low population density territories, as these areas tend to have a lower level of service provision. One dimension of access is accessibility. This paper focuses on measuring the accessibility to urgent and emergency care services in the Portuguese region of Baixo Alentejo, a territory characterized by low population density. Data for the calculation of accessibility is the road network, and the methodology considers the application of a two-level network analyst method: time-distance by own mean (car or taxi) to the urgent care services and the time distance to emergency services as a way to get assistance and to go to urgent care services. While urgent care accessibility meets the requirements stipulated in the Integrated Medical Emergency System's current legislative framework, the simulation of different scenarios of potential accessibility shows intra-regional disparities. Some territories have a low level of accessibility. Older adults, the poorly educated, and low-income population, also have the lowest levels of accessibility, which translates into dually disadvantageous situation since the potential users of emergency services are most likely to belong to this group of citizens.