Changing Economic Opportunities Across the Rural-Urban Continuum: From Remote Agricultural Regions to Large Cities

Dear Colleagues,

The economic structure across the rural–urban continuum has changed considerably over the last 75–100 years, especially in developed countries. Major causes over the last century include (1) labor-saving productivity growth in agriculture that has greatly reduced farm employment and (2) the development of reliable automobiles and improved highway infrastructure that has facilitated geographically widespread commuting and other long-distance economic and household activities. Besides rural-to-urban migration, the upshot has been significant increases in rural/urban interdependencies. Urban sprawl and periurban/exurban housing developments in formerly rural countryside have further blurred the distinction between cities and rural communities.

Agriculture still occupies a significant employment share in the most farm-intensive regions. However, ongoing technological progress means that the sector and associated supply-chain activities (e.g., farm implements and food processing) will continue to shed workers, meaning that agriculture-based economic development will be inadequate for most rural communities. Manufacturing employment has fared relatively well in many rural areas due to land and labor-cost advantages, but productive growth and global competition mean that manufacturing’s role in future rural job growth is also limited. Other developments such as the changing role of amenity-led development, changing preferences for urban living in the post-COVID-19-pandemic world (along with climate change), and ongoing technological changes related to the Internet and broadband capacity will further affect settlement patterns.

This Special Issue aims to shed multiple lights on these developments: what is the role of the urban structure on the economic and social dynamics of peripheral areas? How will changes in entrepreneurship/small-business development and household/business location preferences affect rural economic development, especially in a post-COVID-19 world? Likewise, how does environmental quality impact the spatial distribution of jobs given that climate change policies will likely be implemented with heightened urgency? For instance, do strict environmental policies sufficiently support household quality of life, offsetting any negative effects from restrictions on extractive sectors?

Submissions regarding these questions and other related questions are welcomed if they address changes in key underlying economic dynamics across the rural–urban continuum in advanced economies.

Dr. Cécile Détang-Dessendre
Prof. Dr. Mark Partridge
Guest Editors

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• rural development
• rural-urban continuum
• agriculture
• amenities
• household location
• business location
• public policy
• migration