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Escape to the country: A reaction-driven rural renaissance on a Swedish island post Covid-19

Åberg, Hanna Elisabet LU and Tondelli, Simona (2021) In Sustainability 13(22).
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic could be driving more households to migrate out of cities and to the countryside, but this might result in an increased demand for access to green space which, in the long run, may cause a widening of social inequalities in rural areas. On the contrary, if planned for, it could provide an opportunity for repopulation and regeneration. This article explores the underlying causes and impacts of current rural in-migration, and further, it touches on how planning can balance development while supporting communities for a rural renaissance. By using a case study area in Sweden, it examines evidence of amenity-driven in-migration flows before and during the pandemic. The findings show an increased usage of part-time housing... (More)
The COVID-19 pandemic could be driving more households to migrate out of cities and to the countryside, but this might result in an increased demand for access to green space which, in the long run, may cause a widening of social inequalities in rural areas. On the contrary, if planned for, it could provide an opportunity for repopulation and regeneration. This article explores the underlying causes and impacts of current rural in-migration, and further, it touches on how planning can balance development while supporting communities for a rural renaissance. By using a case study area in Sweden, it examines evidence of amenity-driven in-migration flows before and during the pandemic. The findings show an increased usage of part-time housing as a result of demand for space and nature; however, this was made possible through already well functioning infrastructures. Acknowledging that it is crucial to maintain and enhance natural capital, this study suggests that the supply of services and infrastructure is essential to achieve a rural renaissance beyond temporary tourism. As people are increasingly dividing their time between their urban permanent home and their rural second home, this may further suggest that there is a need to improve the connections between urban and rural areas. (Less)
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author
and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Sustainability
volume
13
issue
22
article number
12895
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • scopus:85119935853
ISSN
2071-1050
DOI
10.3390/su132212895
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
c2cfdf08-7a87-40f7-a90f-558079c951b4
date added to LUP
2023-12-19 11:56:31
date last changed
2024-03-13 09:53:01
@article{c2cfdf08-7a87-40f7-a90f-558079c951b4,
  abstract     = {{The COVID-19 pandemic could be driving more households to migrate out of cities and to the countryside, but this might result in an increased demand for access to green space which, in the long run, may cause a widening of social inequalities in rural areas. On the contrary, if planned for, it could provide an opportunity for repopulation and regeneration. This article explores the underlying causes and impacts of current rural in-migration, and further, it touches on how planning can balance development while supporting communities for a rural renaissance. By using a case study area in Sweden, it examines evidence of amenity-driven in-migration flows before and during the pandemic. The findings show an increased usage of part-time housing as a result of demand for space and nature; however, this was made possible through already well functioning infrastructures. Acknowledging that it is crucial to maintain and enhance natural capital, this study suggests that the supply of services and infrastructure is essential to achieve a rural renaissance beyond temporary tourism. As people are increasingly dividing their time between their urban permanent home and their rural second home, this may further suggest that there is a need to improve the connections between urban and rural areas.}},
  author       = {{Åberg, Hanna Elisabet and Tondelli, Simona}},
  issn         = {{2071-1050}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{22}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{Sustainability}},
  title        = {{Escape to the country: A reaction-driven rural renaissance on a Swedish island post Covid-19}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su132212895}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/su132212895}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}