Peripheral Rural Regions Research Articles

Loss and autonomy: Making sense of rural life at the inner periphery

AbstractWe have studied how people make sense of their lives in peripheral rural regions. While there are disadvantages in terms of infrastructure, transportation and so forth, we have focused on the ways that people understand their specific position and how they feel about it. Using the tools of the Strong Programme in cultural sociology, we have identified two key discourses: the discourse of loss and the discourse of autonomy. Through the former, residents describe the decline of traditions, of rural community and, in particular, the vanishing ideal of rural childhood. Through the latter, they re‐frame these societal developments as problems of individuals. The dichotomy between individual autonomy and individual dependence is employed as a key cultural framework for explaining and understanding life in a peripheral rural region. The research is based on interviews with residents of small rural municipalities located at the inner periphery of the Czech Republic.

Ambiguous and Complex – Rural Revival in a Peripheral Mountain Region (SW Poland)

AbstractThe general development conditions of rural areas have been addressed by many authors; however, the conditions and factors that allow the depopulated problem rural areas to re‐enter the development path are an understudied phenomenon. This article examines the types and drivers of rural revival, evaluates the transformations of rural areas and forecasts their future development. It focuses on a representative region for the key transformations of mountainous rural areas in the Polish‐Czech borderland. This study offers a complex, interdisciplinary approach using quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the in‐depth mechanisms of rural transformation and to vocalise local knowledge and inhabitants' perceptions. The results demonstrate that the depopulated and marginalised peripheral rural regions have the potential to return to the development path, but the symptoms, drivers and perceptions of rural transformations vary greatly across the region. The study highlights the complexity and ambiguity of assessing, evaluating and forecasting rural transformations.

Framing Regional Development: A reflection on the use of language in regional development – examples from Austria

Examining the narrative of rural development, this paper investigates to what extent stories, language or images form consolidated images of a region and how these assist or inhibit regional development internally and externally. Thematically, the discussion incorporates questions of regional development concerning the security of livelihood, discrepancies in living conditions, demographic shifts, outward migration, and condition of infrastructure. The backdrop of this study predominantly consists of case studies in Austrian LEADER regions which were supported through the current structural fund period. The aim was to examine “felt disadvantage” in peripheral rural regions. Upon reflection, this was contextualized to framing. In accordance with (anticipated) regional development the future questions to be answered are to what extent „Deep Frames“ (e.g. “Our situation is bad!”) are doubly counterproductive in regard to both development capacity of a region and also negotiation tools when working with external partners (e.g. fiscal equalization negotiations with state and nation) who are growing to question the subjective interior portrayal more and more.

Development of Agriculture in Chinese Peripheral Rural Regions

Introduction. China has passed a long process on its way to the global leadership in industrial sector and services. Accompanied by rapid growth of the regional prosperity is though not equal among the territory of the country. There are several relative peripheral regions with lower population and agricultural predominance. To maintain territorial cohesion a number of top-down measures and bottom-up initiatives are required.
 Purpose. The main purpose of this paper is to analyse the territorial dimensions of maintaining a steady growth of China’s agricultural sector under the condition of the general population increasing and decreasing the share of rural population.
 Methods. The current research was carried out with application of the following methods: analysis and synthesis – to systemize the conceptual mainstream in the field of peripheral development; comparative analysis – to compare the development aspects in different regions of China depending from their urban/rural structure; deductions and inductions – to elaborate the key issues of agriculture development in Chinese peripheral rural regions; tabular and visual methods – for illustration of the research materials.
 Results. The paper overviews the dynamics of the Chinese population during the last 70 years. The urban-rural structure of the population is analysed in a spatial-temporal perspective. Traditional rural regions in China are determined. General overview of agriculture development in China has been done. From the regional perspective, the development reasons and conditions of the nine relatively typical agricultural areas in China are analysed. The trends of agriculture development in Chinese peripheral rural regions are considered.
 Discussion. Despite the great success of China in the fields of agricultural development and poverty reduction in depressed regions, there are aspects that require additional care: a broad area of issues concerning territorial cohesion, sustainable development, public- private cooperation.

Where is the populist radical right successful? Spatial analysis of populist radical right parties in Slovakia and Czechia

ABSTRACT When the popularity of the populist radical right increases, questions arise. Where are these parties successful? Does the geographic distribution of their support change along with changes in their primary issues? This article analyzes spatial aspects in the support of populist radical right parties in Slovakia and Czechia and their change over time. The spatial distribution was examined using spatial autocorrelation.The results showed that these parties have strong support in “left-behind” regions and peripheral rural regions and weak support in the surroundings of largest cities. The distribution of support for parties also changed more significantly when the parties changed the presented main issues. In Slovakia there was visible spatial competition between the traditional populist radical right party, the Slovak National Party (SNS), and newer and adaptable party, the People’s Party Our Slovakia (ĽSNS). ĽSNS succeeded in areas with traditionally strong support for SNS thanks to changes in its main electoral themes. In Czechia, the distribution of support between Dawn and Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) has changed. Dawn had a support distribution similar to the populist party Public Affairs, which shared ideas of direct democracy. SPD’s support distribution was closer to areas traditionally supporting the populist radical right.

Transport poverty meets car dependency: A GPS tracking study of socially disadvantaged groups in European rural peripheries

This article explores the spatial mobility of disadvantaged populations in order to enhance our understanding of transport poverty. It is based on participatory GPS tracking data collected in peripheral rural regions in Czechia and Germany. The data provide information on the two-week mobility of 61 socially disadvantaged study participants belonging to the following groups: (a) the lone elderly, (b) the labor market disadvantaged, and (c) single parents. The quantitative analysis utilizes group comparisons of activity space metrics. The results show that the mobility of disadvantaged people varied little between countries and regions, which indicates that individual social disadvantage mattered more than regional spatial disadvantage. Daily mobility depended on individual mobility strategies, and on people's embeddedness in social networks. The mobility patterns of socially disadvantaged groups differed, and showed considerable within-group variability. Our analysis finds that the effects of car access depended on the respondents' levels of social disadvantage; and that a car was not a merely a transport variable, but a socially conditioned variable. Understanding how automobility in rural peripheries is mediated by social ties, and how it can both enable and constrain chances for social participation, is essential for developing measures aimed at reducing transport poverty.

Modes of spread in social innovation: A social topology case in rural Portugal

The potential of social innovation to address intersecting social and spatial inequalities in regional territories is increasingly recognised. Against this background, the results in this article are based on a qualitative study of constellations of actors in peripheral rural regions engaged in socially innovative approaches to regional development. Empirically, the example of EPAM — a network of new young farmers across Portugal — is investigated using social topology methodology to demonstrate how social innovation spreads through rural regions. Data were collected and analysed across spatial scales to examine how images circulate ecologies of infrastructure –including EPAM – and traverse territorial boundaries. In this way, images as specific material-discursive configurations are shown to be agential in the performative spreading of social innovation.To conceptualise these observations, the article is based on the assumption that social innovation has dual spatial properties. The first, an empirically legible and bounded object moving in space (regional). The second, an trans-scalar relational process in which objects, subjects, and spaces are reciprocally reconfigured (process-relational). This assumption has implications on understanding diffusion dynamics in social innovation, specifically how does social innovation spread in a process-relational mode? Against this background, the primary aim of the article is to examine and elaborate the diffusion dynamics of social innovation in its process-relational mode in the case of EPAM. Applying social topology methodology with agential realist theoretical sensitivity is well suited to theoretically elaborate modes of spread in social innovation according to their spatial properties.

Local development initiatives in the Lake Ladoga Region: Reasons for success and approaches to funding

The peripheral (rural) regions in most countries face four vicious circles that contribute to their low level of development and inability to achieve the sustainable level of development. The first vicious circle is related to demography and is caused by the vulnerable population; very few young people and imbalance of women and men lead to poor economy, i.e. dominance of subsistence economy over production or trade; unfavorable age structure combined with poor services lead to very low birth rate and high levels of migration. The second vicious circle of remoteness is related to the fact that poor infrastructure does not attract businesses or new residents in the area, which contributes to high levels of migration as young and working-age population, especially families with young children, move out. The third vicious circle is related to education: the low level of education and skills mean that there is no labor force available in the region, which prevents business from entering the local market. Lack of employment means high poverty risk, which again accelerates migration from the rural areas. All these processes undermine the possibilities for local development simply because there is not enough human or economic capital to sustain rural development. These negative trends are not only typical for rural areas of Russia but have a strong impact on peripheral areas of many other post-socialist and European countries. The governments in Russia and European Union introduced various programs and measures to promote local development so that to overcome the negative consequences of all the mentioned vicious circles. In the first part of the article, the authors evaluate some local development efforts funded by the Ladoga Initiative project, successful and failed projects aimed at overcoming the vicious circles. In the second part of the article, the authors describe grant and priority programs introduced in Russia to support local development.

POPULATION STRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC CYCLES IN GREECE: A MULTIDIMENSIONAL REGIONAL ANALYSIS (1988-2016)

Demographic structures have undergone important transformations driven by economic cycles because of population movements and spatially-variable patterns of fertility and mortality. Understanding the latent relationship between changes over time in population structure and sequential waves of expansion and recession is a relevant issue in economic demography. In this regard, the recent history of southern European countries, and especially of Greece, is representative of consecutive economic expansions and recessions. The present study aims at investigating relevant modifications in population structure across Greek regions between 1988 and 2016 using a multi-temporal factor analysis. Being characterized by a relatively young population with traditional family structures, out-migration and moderate immigration up to the late 1980s, Greek demography shifted towards ageing, mononuclear families and a rising immigration rate during the early 2000s economic expansion, with an overall increase of resident population. The subsequent 2007 recession has represented a turning point in Greek demography, consolidating changes in traditional family structures, while stimulating out-migration to northern and western European countries and reducing immigration from developing countries. A diachronic analysis of population structures at sub-national scale indicates a substantial heterogeneity of demographic processes across Greek regions. Metropolitan areas and highly accessible coastal and flat districts including islands experienced rapid population dynamics, while peripheral rural regions underwent a moderate population ageing. Taken together, these processes had a short-term, synergic impact on Greek demographic structure determining a rapid increase in the median population age with possibly negative consequences for the ability of the country's economy to recover from crisis.

Challenging peripheralising discourses: Using evolutionary economic geography and, complex systems theory to connect new regional knowledges within the periphery

Abstract There is a strong literature which examines how the ways that peripheries are discursively constructed impacts on the processes of Peripheralisation. For example, Burk et al. (2012) discuss how some discourses ‘stigmatise’ regions, harming future development and reproducing peripherality. This paper speaks to concerns over how to address this. It asks whether examining peripheral regions as Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) can help to find ways to operationalise the agency of people in individual peripheries, thereby challenging peripheralising discourses. In the following study the paper examines Evolutionary Economic Geography (EEG) and Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) for the tools that they offer to address peripheralising processes. It uses this as a means to examine the strategic discourses utilised in two peripheral rural regions; the Mount Rogers Planning District Commission area in South West Virginia, USA, and Cornwall in the South West of the UK. This analysis makes visible gaps in the ways that knowledges flow and are shared around the regions with regards to changes in the economy. In this example, communicating skills gaps might offer a means to incorporate the general public to help to develop new narratives which can challenge peripheralising ones.

Change of the rural area in the knowledge society

In the knowledge society, spatial structure is differentiated, and as a result of this process the rural area no longer appears as a homogenous entity. The “reflexive modernity” of the knowledge society does not seem to know any determinism concerning spatial development-differences, but rather provides new scope to people for acquiring and valorizing different areas. New development impulses could be triggered in the so far peripherally assessed rural area through those extended options. In order to review these assumptions, this paper asks from a theoretical perspective how the cultural, social, economic and technical dimensions of the knowledge society interact with space, and what challenges and strategies may arise for rural areas. The empirical verification is based on results of a working group of the Academy of Spatial Research and Planning (ARL) about the knowledge society in rural-peripheral regions and more qualitative and quantitative studies about the topic. Analysis shows that in many, but not in all regions new knowledge society shaped life cultures evolved differentiating from urban social models. They prove a new attractiveness of the rural area, which are also expressed in knowledge-based projects of culture, education, public services and entrepreneurial commitment. There are a lot of examples especially in economic competitive regions but also in peripheral regions suffering population loss. It needs more studies to determine how the approaches can be used by public and private players to promote the knowledge-society based change. They could help using the gained experience in successful regions for political and planning support in peripheral rural towns and regions.

Economic downturns and compositional effects in regional population structures by age: a multi-temporal analysis in Greek regions, 1981–2017

Population movements (international and internal migration) and changing fertility and mortality patterns have significantly affected demographic structures. Investigation of the relationship between (evolving) population structures and economic downturns is a key issue in economic demography. Analysis of compositional changes in regional population structures over a sufficiently long time interval may provide an informed knowledge to better understanding of this relationship and the underlying socioeconomic context in European countries. Based on these premises, Greece was considered a paradigmatic case of sequential economic expansions and recessions, impacting the structure of resident population in the last four decades. In this work, changes over time in population structures by age in Greek regions were explored (1981–2017) using a multi-temporal principal component analysis. A diachronic analysis of compositional effects of economic downturns on regional population structures indicates spatially-heterogeneous demographic processes in Greece. The subsequent recession has represented a turning point in Greek demography, consolidating changes in traditional family structures, while stimulating out-migration at younger ages to Northern and Western European regions and containing immigration from developing countries. Metropolitan areas and coastal districts had more rapid population dynamics, while peripheral rural regions experienced more rapid changes towards aging. Population aging had a short-term impact on regional population structures in Greece, with possibly negative consequences for the ability of the country’s economy to recover from crisis.

The Potential of Cultural Events in the Peripheral Rural Jesenicko Region

Peripheral rural regions are looking for new development strategies in the face of interregional competition for qualified labour, tourists and better image. Rural areas usually suffer from a number of socio-economic problems such as depopulation, ageing and negative educational structure. This article deals with the analysis of selected soft factor, cultural offer and its institutional arrangements and a possible impact on the socio-economic development of the peripheral rural Jesenicko Region. It is argued that culture economy approach to rural development is in line with the emerging theory that development activity of peripheral rural regions consists of both endogenous and exogenous forces using new forms of governance. The description of the types of actors and their interrelationships is the starting point for understanding and evaluating the actors’ role in regional development. Realization of semi-structured in-depth interviews, literature review and observation were the main methods of data collection. Many cultural and sports events of local character are held in the Jesenicko Region. Cultural offer, however, does not reflect the requirements of local residents and visitors. The participation of local inhabitants on the production of cultural activities is also very low, which can hinder further development of the region. The desired strategic connection of culture and tourism remains, with few exceptions, underused. This article suggests some possible directions of culture economy approach for further development of the Jesenicko Region.

Opportunistic testing for urogenital infection with Chlamydia trachomatis in south-western Switzerland, 2012: a feasibility study.

The feasibility of opportunistic screening of urogenital infections with Chlamydia trachomatis was assessed in a cross-sectional study in 2012, in two cantons of south-western Switzerland: Vaud and Valais. Sexually active persons younger than 30 years, not tested for C. trachomatis in the last three months, were invited for free C. trachomatis testing by PCR in urine or self-applied vaginal swabs. Of 2,461 consenting participants, 1,899 (77%) were women and all but six (0.3%) submitted a sample. Forty-seven per cent of female and 25% of male participants were younger than 20 years. Overall, 134 (5.5%) of 2,455 tested participants had a positive result and were followed up. Seven per cent of all candidates for screening were not invited, 10% of invited candidates were not eligible, 15% of the eligible candidates declined participation, 5% of tested participants testing positive were not treated, 29% of those treated were not retested after six months and 9% of those retested were positive for C. trachomatis. Opportunistic C. trachomatis testing proved technically feasible and acceptable, at least if free of charge. Men and peripheral rural regions were more difficult to reach. Efforts to increase testing and decrease dropout at all stages of the screening procedure are necessary.

Contrasting Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches to Rural Development Analysis: The Case of Agricultural Intensification in Lebanon

AbstractWhile peripheral rural regions in Lebanon face typical problems of lagging development and economic marginalisation, they have not been regarded as a priority for policy‐makers. Local extensionists have encouraged technological innovation as a means of improving farmers’ livelihoods, and this has led to increasing input use and an intensification of agricultural production. This paper applies contrasting quantitative and qualitative methodologies to analyse the effects of such changes at the level of the overall economy of Lebanon and also to explore the impacts on rural households. A computable general equilibrium (CGE) model simulates shocks in which agricultural output increases due to different types of intensification. The results are contrasted at local level through the use of qualitative case study analysis carried out in the Hermel district of northeast Lebanon. Quantitative simulations indicate that, while agricultural intensification has a positive effect overall on the Lebanese economy, the effects on rural households and the income of farmers are negative. The case‐study interviews demonstrate that, at local level, agricultural trade liberalisation, increased agricultural output and greater volatility of commodity prices have resulted in farmers opting for lower input use and more secure market forms of production.

Public policies supporting local networks for entrepreneurship and innovation: effectiveness and added value analysis of LEADER program in the Alentejo region of Portugal

The main purpose of this paper is to discuss the role, effectiveness and added value of public policies supporting locally-based networks for entrepreneurship and innovation in rural areas. The effects and impacts of public policies to support innovation and entrepreneurship in peripheral rural regions are often weak, diffuse and difficult to measure accurately. Therefore, and from the perspective of a case study, based on the LEADER initiative – links between actions of rural development approach in Portugal (Alentejo region) an attempt is made to assess direct and indirect impacts, the systemic effects of these policies and the effectiveness and added value of their effects. The LEADER initiative was launched in 1991 by European Commission as a result of growing concern about the future of rural areas. This approach to the subject of rural development by this instrument of public policy intervenes in the regions, notably, through cooperation between network agents and territories and encouragement of entrepreneurship.

Amenity Migration in the Southern Andes and the Southern European Alps – A Key Factor for Sustainable Regional Development?

For a long time, peripheral rural mountain regions in many countries were marked by emigration, particularly that of the young and well qualified. In recent decades, we can observe an apparently diametrical process in some regions: ‘amenity migration’, which implies the migration to remote, rural areas. This ‘new immigration’ is targeted at areas of natural beauty and favourable climatic conditions, many of them already known as tourist destinations. Several case studies for different mountain regions show a great variety, both of the migrating persons and the chosen destinations. Based on quantitative and qualitative methods, this paper examines four case study areas in different regions of the southern European Alps and the southern Andes and compares the onset and the intensity of the process, the motivation and the characteristics of the migrants and the significance of this phenomenon for regional development in the target regions. It ends by discussing opportunities and risks for the local population.

Public services in peripheral rural regions of Germany. The examples of the regions of Western Pomerania and Western Eifel

« L’Allemagne se dépeuple et il est déprimant d’y voyager : les devantures de magasins restent closes, les cabinets des médecins ferment, et les crèches deviennent inutiles » (Ankenbrand, 2011). Les espaces ruraux périphériques constituent, en Allemagne, un type d’espace intéressant pour aborder la question des services à la population, et l’avenir de ces espaces dépend en grande partie de leur capacité à faire face à cette question. En prenant appui sur l’exemple des régions de Poméranie occidentale et de l’Eifel occidentale, cet article analyse l’impact des migrations, des changements démographiques et des fragilités structurelles de ces régions sur les espaces ruraux, ainsi que sur l’organisation de leurs services. Il s’agit notamment d’expliquer comment les services se sont modifiés depuis 1950 et quelles conséquences cela a eu sur les populations locales. Dans les deux régions étudiées, le nombre d’habitants diminue, les jeunes gens partent, le nombre de personnes âgées augmente et les services sont démantelés. Néanmoins, au-delà d’un certain nombre de points communs, on peut mettre en évidence de profondes différences entre les espaces. En Poméranie occidentale, les interactions entre les problèmes économiques structurels et la baisse de population conduisent au cercle vicieux de la décroissance. Au contraire, l’Eifel occidentale – un territoire frontalier avec le Luxembourg – présente comparativement des perspectives de développement stables, malgré ses faiblesses structurelles et son caractère de périphérie spatiale ; en effet, la localisation de cette région lui permet de bénéficier d’un certain nombre d’atouts. L’objectif de cette contribution est de mettre en évidence les modèles sous-jacents à chacune de ces régions, d’y estimer le niveau et la qualité des services, et enfin d’identifier des spécificités régionales en termes de perspectives de développement et de gestion des services.

Risk Factors Associated with Crash Severity on Low-Volume Rural Roads in Denmark

Safety on low-volume rural roads is drawing attention due to the high fatality and severe injury rates in comparison with high-volume roads and the increasing awareness of sustainable rural development among policy makers. This study analyzes the risk factors associated with crash severity on low-volume rural roads, including crash characteristics, driver attributes and behavior, vehicle type, road features, environmental conditions, distance from the nearest hospital, and zone rurality degree. The data consist of a set of crashes occurred on low-volume rural roads in Denmark between 2007 and 2011. The crashes were identified by map-matching the crash location to the geographic information system representing the national transport network and extracting the relevant crashes based on annual average traffic volumes. Injury severity was modeled by estimating a generalized ordered logit model due to its advantage in accommodating the ordered-response nature of severity while relaxing the proportional odds assumption. Model estimates and pseudoelasticities show that aggravated crash injury severity is significantly associated with (1) alcohol and failure to wear seatbelts, (2) involvement of vulnerable road users (i.e., pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists), (3) involvement of heavy vehicles, (4) speed limits of 80–90 km/h, (5) longer distance to the nearest hospital, and (6) peripheral rural regions.

Mapping Creative Industries in the Zlin Region

Mapping of creative industries is a crucial basis for assessing the creative economy in regions. It ensures the development of creative clusters and the subsequent identification of stakeholders and networks. The present approach is to transfer creative industries research from global cities and urbanized old industrial regions to peripheral rural regions, in our case with preserved ethnographic traditions and crafts and tradition in design and film production which forms the core activities of the region. The article discusses the methods of secondary data quantitative analysis of the commercial creative industries from publicly available sources and reveals shortcomings in databases in the Czech Republic. The mapping takes into account the contribution of time factor within the definition of the creative industries segments, where it reveals significant differences not only between them but also, it shows differentiation between enterprises with employees and non-employing enterprises. The article serves as a foundation for the facilitation of creative clusters and creative industries development strategies as instruments that support competitiveness at the regional level.