Structurally Weak Rural Regions

Abstract

Structurally weak rural regions are defined as regions that face a multitude of socioeconomic disadvantages resulting from dynamics such as out‐migration, aging of the population, labor shortages, economic transformations of traditional sectors, and a weak endowment with organizations that may help alleviate these problems. Due to societal shifts and large‐scale migration to urban areas, structurally weak rural regions, in both the Global North and Global South, face important development challenges. New rural paradigm policy approaches aim at responding to these challenges by strengthening endogenous and sustainable development potentials of local businesses, improving public services, especially ICT infrastructure, and by preserving and valuing ecological and cultural amenities. As a response to modernization approaches, the new rural paradigm argues for a holistic perspective on rural development, which encompasses a broader set of values and highlights qualitative aspects of development.