8 - rural management and challenges of continuity/change Flashcards
what can be used to manage rural change
- community land trusts
- FDI
stakeholders (government, local groups, external agencies) involved in managing issues
why have rural areas experienced counterurbanisation since 1980s
- perceived advantages of rural life ‘rural idyll’ (less crowded, open space, quieter, more community)
- increased access to city from rural areas due to transportation developments
who drives counter urbanisation
EARLY RETIREES - early retirement = elderly seeking to spend retirement in rural environment eg devon cornwall norfolk suffolk
TOURISM ENTREPRENEURS - rising incomes = increased leisure and savings used to establish hotels, tea rooms, theme parks etc
RURAL ‘TELEWORKERS’ - high technology work means less need for the city
PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS - influx in population = need for employment eg education health retail
ARTISTS AND ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLES - many migrated to rural areas and adopt self sufficient lifestyle
what divide exists between rural and urban areas
DIGITAL DIVIDE - access to internet, phone coverage because:
- physical coverage less and urban areas prioritised as more customers
- high proportion of elderly in rural don’t know how to access tech
- poverty as many cannot afford access
why is the digital divide an issue
- unequal access to services
- work opportunities often advertised online
- social exclusion eg facebook vs landline
- lack of access puts off youth so ageing population in rural areas diminishing counterurbanisation
what is post production
shift from maximising agricultural yields by traditional farming to sustainable organic food production and diversification into leisure, tourism and high tech activities
what benefits can in-migration bring to rural areas
- local services dont have to dip below threshold
- incomers may be effective lobbyists who campaign for more regional aid and business grants
- incomer entrepreneurs bring skills with them and establish new businesses requiring workers
- youth incomers offset ageing population effect that rural areas suffer from helping schools stay open
- incomers have capital that is needed to invest into ageing properties and protect them
what is rural rebranding
process by which rural areas attempt to revitalise to provide for a secure and prosperous future for inhabitants
helps people become aware of existence of new place products and recognise beenfits, style and culture
why is rebranding needed in rural areas
- post productive
- rural areas often characterised by rural idyll or depopulation and ageing population so need to reposition themselves as centres of leisure and amenity rather than agriculture
- rural rebranding often achieved by strengthening farming economy by diversification
what are problems involved with rural rebranding
- changes the character of an area bringing up controversy as might result in importation of wealthy residents, business infrastructures and cultural and leisure facilities
- disregarding imagery connected with heritage can be negative as rural landscape fundamental resources
what happened in Longnor
the village services declined affecting rural quality of life
- transport was affected as private car ownership, rail cuts and bus privatisation affected public transport
- the influence of technology is clear as internet allows people to work from home so these are now ‘electronic cottages’
what were the effects of the recent changes in Longnor
- the major effect of counter- urbanisation is a number of the services in the area were forced to close
- majority of people moving into areas commute to work every day so use shops and services in the urban areas where they work
- the secondary school was shut and made solely into a primary school
- demand for parking = former village green become a central car-parking area
- main function of village shifted from farming to leisure
what were Longnor’s responses to decline
- integrated rural development (IRD) projects and rural development commission (RDC) grants
- three goals of introducing business enterprises, promoting tourism and improving local amenities and housing
- market hall renovated to house a craft centre and tea-shop to employ local people and attract tourists
- pub granted money so it could conform to fire regulations and open as a B&B
how many people dont have access to IT
around 30% of homes lack any kind of access to ICT. As many as 10 million British citizens have never been online and of these 4 million are classified as “highly disadvantaged” individuals.
reasons for UK digital divide
- affordability
- accessibility
- motivation (dont think they have a need)
- skills (older people dont want to feel behind)
- moral panic (child e-safety)
