RURALITIC Kicks off to redefine rurality in a changing world 

Europe’s rural territories are undergoing rapid and profound transformations that demand a fresh lens of understanding. This is precisely the aim of the RURALITIC project — Rural revival: a life in the inspirational countryside — which will run over the next four years. The project officially launched on 11–12 February 2025 in Dijon, is supported by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme and managed by the European Research Executive Agency (REA). 

Driven by the need to redefine the role and identity of rural areas in Europe, the RURALITIC project brings together 16 partners from 10 countries. Coordinated by the Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRAE), this interdisciplinary consortium aims to dig deep into the roots of rural life through innovative science-based tools and cultivate insights that will grow into actionable and context-sensitive policy guidance for rural development. 

A great scientific adventure starts 

The ground is prepared for this scientific journey to take root, as Project Coordinator Gilles Laferté, Research Director in Sociology at INRAE, sows the key ideas that will guide the work ahead: 

1. A realistic vision of the rural world is essential for shaping appropriate public policies; 

2. Rural areas must be understood as active social producers, fully integrated into global spatial redefinitions; 

3. There is a need to move towards a moral theory of social class and position, recognising rural inhabitants as agents of change, not merely as passive recipients of policy. 

With this ambitious foundation, RURALITIC embarks on a great scientific adventure, setting the stage to pursue six main objectives: 

• Redefining rurality as a multidimensional and relational concept, emphasising socio-economic and spatial interdependencies. 
• Characterising the diversity of rural areas and their role in major transitions by integrating new indicators (real estate trends, digitalisation, environmental amenities) and focusing on evolving social dynamics. 
• Identify key drivers of attractiveness specific to different types of rural areas and assessing how crises and policies shape population flows and perceptions. 
• Evaluating post-Covid demographic impacts on public services, real estate markets, and well-being, with a focus on financial sustainability and social coherence. 
• Assessing and co-developing public policies and local initiatives to revitalise rural areas. 
• Developing future scenarios that envision resilient and thriving rural areas, where tradition, innovation, and environmental stewardship intersect to create sustainable socio-economic models. 

A policy-driven approach rooted in the ground 

During the meeting in Dijon, representatives from the European Commission walked the RURALITIC project members through the strategic policy framework shaping the project’s path, highlighting key initiatives and strategies. 

On the policy-ground, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hanse is setting two concrete initiatives: the New Vision for Agriculture and the Strategy for Generational Renewal. These initiatives focus on strengthening demographic resilience in rural areas by empowering young farmers, ensuring fair access to resources, and fostering rural innovation. 

Reflecting the EU’s commitment to place-based cohesion and balanced territorial development, Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms Raffaele Fitto stands behind the “right to stay” — a policy priority that affirms citizens’ ability to remain and flourish in their communities, especially in regions facing depopulation. 

RURALITIC’s research will take root directly in the EU’s Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas, a roadmap to make Europe’s rural regions stronger, better connected, more resilient, and prosperous by 2040. A key contribution of the project lies in the conceptual and empirical development of “European rural social spaces.” This approach will examine how rural inhabitants’ cultural and economic capital shapes their life choices, perceptions, and social positions. 

What lies ahead? 

RURALITIC embarks on its mission ready to shift the narrative around rural Europe. By generating new data, redefining frameworks, and producing policy-relevant insights, the project will support rural development with strategies that are inclusive, forward-looking, and firmly rooted in the complexity of lived experiences. 

At a time when rural territories attract renewed focus yet continue to face enduring challenges, RURALITIC represents a timely, ambitious, and essential investment in understanding, reimagining, and transforming the future of Europe’s countryside. 

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