{"id":57340,"date":"2025-04-30T10:26:38","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T14:26:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/?p=57340"},"modified":"2025-06-03T14:05:34","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T18:05:34","slug":"a-new-rurality-is-emerging-not-nostalgic-but-reinvented-can-we-move-beyond-urban-rural-divides-and-embrace-the-fluid-interwoven-realities-of-todays-landscapes-in-ways-that-foster-r","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/2025\/04\/30\/a-new-rurality-is-emerging-not-nostalgic-but-reinvented-can-we-move-beyond-urban-rural-divides-and-embrace-the-fluid-interwoven-realities-of-todays-landscapes-in-ways-that-foster-r\/","title":{"rendered":"A new rurality is emerging\u2014not nostalgic, but reinvented. Can we move beyond urban-rural divides and embrace the fluid, interwoven realities of today\u2019s landscapes in ways that foster resilience, innovation, and equity?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Authors in This Roundtable<\/h3>\n
Caterina Amengual Morro, Inca<\/a> In the new rurality, we value local knowledge \u2014 that of someone who has spent decades tending the same piece of land every day and living from its fruits. This awareness of the land is what must reach urban humanity.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Kana Chan, Kamikatsu<\/a> What\u2019s emerging in rural Japan isn\u2019t a return to the past. Urban migrants are crafting lives shaped by new values, reshaping the meaning of the kurashi<\/em> in contemporary Japan. Rurality has become a site of experimentation for sustainable futures.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
M\u2019Lisa Colbert, Montreal<\/a> This is the kind of rurality we need now: not defined by geography but by intention and ethics. This shift in mindset changes everything.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Saurav Dhakal, Nepal<\/a> The future of rural areas is not about looking backward but embracing a new rurality that focuses on innovation, self-determination, and sustainable local markets.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Mariona Gabarr\u00f3 Rovira, Vilassar de Mar<\/a> If we want truly sustainable futures, we must listen to the knowledge that already exists in rural and Indigenous communities. We must stop idealizing or exploiting the rural, and instead walk together\u2014towards shared well-being.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Juliana Gatti P. Rodrigues, Sao Paulo<\/a> In building these new fertile and prosperous bridges with humanity and empathy, the recognition of all human lives, the welcoming of challenging and suffering situations, and the expansion of this united community towards respectful relationships with all living beings and natural systems define the tone of this integration and balance.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Carla Gon\u00e7alves, Porto<\/a> The landscape is not merely scenery\u2014it is a lived place. Understanding this landscape demands that we abandon fixed boundaries and instead embrace it as a socioecological system\u2014fluid, overlapping, and continually negotiated.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Patrick M. Lydon, Tongyeong<\/a> Maybe the real reinvention isn\u2019t about redefining rurality at all. Maybe it\u2019s about listening. About remembering how to belong. About asking questions like a Bush Warbler.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Dirk Madriles, Castellcir<\/a> Maybe we need to understand that urbanity depends on rurality and that both dimensions are connected, bound to recognize, understand, and learn from each other in order to move forward together.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Sarah Mahoney, Ho Chi Minh City<\/a> What\u2019s emerging in rural Japan isn\u2019t a return to the past. Urban migrants are crafting lives shaped by new values, reshaping the meaning of the kurashi<\/em> in contemporary Japan. Rurality has become a site of experimentation for sustainable futures.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Seema Mundoli, Bangalore<\/a> Our hope for the future lies in developing awareness about the existence of commons, their long history of local protection by communities, and the need for new, re-shaped communities in the peri-urban to form new relationships with old commons.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Harini Nagendra, Bangalore<\/a> Our hope for the future lies in developing awareness about the existence of commons, their long history of local protection by communities, and the need for new, re-shaped communities in the peri-urban to form new relationships with old commons.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Steward Pickett, Poughkeepsie<\/a> The continuum of urbanity provides a tool to get beyond the urban-versus-rural dichotomy.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Silvia Quarta, Murcia<\/a> And I say: bring culture to the rural. Stop using the rural as an escape. Stop assuming rural is old. Stop centralising everything into cities. Stop thinking nobody wants to live here.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Chrispin Boniface Sanga, Karlsruhe<\/a> Embracing this new rurality is not about drawing new lines, it\u2019s about dissolving old ones. It\u2019s about recognizing that resilience is not built in isolation, but through networks of solidarity, exchange, and shared vision.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Sil Van de Velde, Kamikatsu<\/a> What\u2019s emerging in rural Japan isn\u2019t a return to the past. Urban migrants are crafting lives shaped by new values, reshaping the meaning of the kurashi<\/em> in contemporary Japan. Rurality has become a site of experimentation for sustainable futures.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Julia Viejobueno, Priorat<\/a> From this (re)cognition must come real support\u2014laws and policies that help preserve and strengthen rurality, without distorting it, but also without reducing it to stereotypes or folkloric clich\u00e9s.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Laura Wendling, Trondheim<\/a> This vision of a new rurality is not about romanticising the countryside. It is about recognising that rural communities are already innovating, crafting solutions that are creative, collaborative, and deeply contextual.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Introduction<\/h3>\n
\n
Claudia Misteli<\/div>\n
\n

about the writer
\n Claudia Misteli<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n

Claudia is a social designer, communicator, and journalist who believes that care, creativity, and collaboration are key to building more just, vibrant, and nature-connected places. Born between Colombia\u2019s coffee region and the Swiss Alps, she now lives in Barcelona, blending cultures and perspectives in her work. At The Nature of Cities, she co-leads European projects and TNOC Festival, sparking connections and meaningful action. Claudia also volunteers with the Latin American Landscape Initiative (LALI), helping amplify regional voices and build bridges across Latin America through storytelling, communications, and a deep love for people and place.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

The rural is not what it used to be. Was it ever? Across continents, a new rurality is emerging, shaped not by nostalgia but by reinvention. Yet, challenges remain.<\/blockquote><\/figure>\n

For too long, rural territories have been defined by external narratives \u2014 seen as places of tradition and stagnation, of romantic retreat or inevitable decline. But the people who live and work in these landscapes tell a different story.<\/p>\n

The rural is not what it used to be. Was it ever? Across continents, a new rurality is emerging, shaped not by nostalgia but by reinvention.\u00a0 As Catalan writer and farmer J\u00falia Viejobueno illustrates in her book Quedar-se al Tros<\/em><\/a>, working the land today is an act of both continuity and transformation: rooted in generations of knowledge yet shaped by contemporary challenges such as climate unpredictability and shifting rural economies.<\/p>\n

What are cities without the rural? The food on our tables, the water in our taps, the materials that shape our homes\u2014all rely on rural territories and the people who sustain them. Yet, policies, markets, and cultural perceptions often reinforce a rigid divide, overlooking the deep interdependencies between urban and rural territories.<\/p>\n

What does it mean to sustain and reimagine rural life on its own terms?
\nHow can rural territories be seen not as the city\u2019s periphery but as central to a just, resilient, and interconnected world?
\nWhat new models of governance, economy, and cultural expression are needed to support this transformation?<\/p>\n

To embrace this new rurality is to let go of rigid lines.
It is to understand that resilience is not built in isolation, but in the weaving together of landscapes, stories, and dreams \u2014 across hills and highways, crops and screens, cities and fields.<\/p>\n

The rural is not fading.
It is becoming something new.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n

M\u2019Lisa Colbert<\/h3>\n
\n
M'Lisa Colbert<\/div>\n
\n

about the writer
\n M'Lisa Colbert<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n

M'Lisa Lee Colbert is a social scientist, and an urban farmer. She is currently working to improve access to locally grown produce year-round at an affordable price, in Montreal.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

Go Deep: A Rurality Reimagined<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the kind of rurality we need now: not defined by geography but by intention and ethics. This shift in mindset changes everything.<\/blockquote><\/figure>\n

I see the new rurality not so much as a return or going back \u2014 for me, it\u2019s about going deep<\/em>.<\/p>\n

As the lines between city and countryside blur, we\u2019re called to reimagine place, not as a binary, but as a braided system of care, innovation, and resilience. The question is no longer rural or<\/em> urban \u2014 but how we root in both, drawing from each to build something new.<\/p>\n

As an urban farmer in Montreal, I grow food in an urban storefront, not on acres of land. My work is rural in spirit where the ethic of this approach comes from old land logic: plant what you need, share what you can, waste nothing, and root your wealth in relationships. This is not a nostalgia project. It\u2019s a living, emerging system that merges rural intention with urban reality.<\/p>\n

In this view, to move beyond the urban-rural divide is to embrace hybridity. In this case, hydroponics and heritage, tech stacks and trust, towers and traditions. Achieving this is very much tethered to our will and imagination to push forward to design systems for people and the planet that respect both. Too often, we talk about scale as something vast \u2014 bigger farms, longer supply chains, and more. Economies of scale are framed as wide and sprawling \u2014 monocultures, mega-farms, mass production. But scale can also be dense, local, and intimate. Like a root. Like a microchip. Like a human heart: small in form, vast in function.<\/p>\n

This is the kind of rurality we need now: not defined by geography but by intention and ethics. This shift in mindset changes everything. This means we stop measuring success by reaching and start measuring it by richness. Rural becomes not a place, but a practice: of stewardship, care, interdependence, and slowness. A rurality that shows up in storefront farms, alley gardens, office buildings, sidewalk markets, industrial enclaves, and kitchen co-ops. A rurality that moves through cities as memory and method \u2014 through stories passed down, and technologies passed forward.<\/p>\n

To embrace this, we must let go of outdated divides and build ecosystems that are both grounded and adaptive. That means valuing rural knowledge not as old or obsolete but as radically future-facing. It means seeing urban spaces not as disconnected, but as fertile ground for new forms of rooted life. Equity in this reimagined landscape starts with design. When systems are built small and shared, not hoarded, they become spaces of belonging. When food is local, not in the nostalgic sense, but in the community sense \u2014 something you can see, touch, and know \u2014 it can\u2019t help but become a common place. A real connector.<\/p>\n

This new rurality won\u2019t be built from a single direction and requires many hands and many voices. It will come from the spaces in between. From those who know how to braid scale with story. From those who understand that roots don\u2019t ask permission to cross boundaries. They just grow \u2014 deep, and in every direction. We don\u2019t need to stretch wider. We need to root deeper.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where the future begins.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\n

Sarah Mahoney, Sil Van de Velde, and Kana Chan<\/h3>\n
\n
Sarah Mahoney<\/div>\n
\n

about the writer
\n Sarah Mahoney<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n

Sarah is a cultural anthropologist with her graduate work completed from the University of Oslo. She carried out fieldwork funded by National Geographic Society in depopulated mountain villages in Japan to examine rural revitalization. Her research interests include lifestyle migration, post-growth imaginaries, and degrowth in rural Japan.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
Sil Van de Velde<\/div>\n
\n

about the writer
\n Sil Van de Velde<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n

Sil is passionate about education, conservation, and tourism development. He has been involved in projects with communities like the Saharawi and Dusun people to research the potential of international mobility to create awareness around (environmental) injustice and posthumanist worldviews. \r\nSil is a co-founder of INOW, a social enterprise, with a mission to build a community of people who care about creating a circular, waste-free society.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
Kana Chan<\/div>\n
\n

about the writer
\n Kana Chan<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n

Kana Chan is a writer and educator. She is the co-founder of INOW, an educational program based in Kamikatsu, Japan\u2019s first \"Zero Waste Village\". Her work explores how immersive learning can inspire conversations about the global waste crisis and sustainability.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n<\/div>\n

What\u2019s emerging in rural Japan isn\u2019t a return to the past. Urban migrants are crafting lives shaped by new values, reshaping the meaning of the kurashi<\/em> in contemporary Japan. Rurality has become a site of experimentation for sustainable futures.<\/blockquote><\/figure>\n

What if rural wasn\u2019t a place?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Japan, a new rural reality is emerging. As (young) urban migrants move from cities to depopulating villages, they begin to live differently: more intentionally and more relationally. So, what if rural wasn\u2019t defined by geography (not by how far it is from the city, as it\u2019s often understood), but instead by how we live<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

In Japanese, the word kurashi<\/em> refers to \u201ca way of life\u201d. Kurashi<\/em> is not only a collection of lifestyle choices, but a deeper orientation toward time, values, and relationships. To understand rural, in this sense, is to rethink how we relate to people and to place.<\/p>\n

\"AContemporary Japan is increasingly described as a muenshakai<\/em> or a \u201crelationless society\u201d. Japan is centralized in Tokyo, one of the largest cities in the world, with a population of over 37 million. In contrast, the village of Kamikatsu has just over 1,300 residents. Yet despite Tokyo\u2019s density and status, many people feel deeply isolated from themselves, from one another, and from the environment. Urban life, driven by capitalist ideals of speed, convenience, and individualism, can lead to disconnection and a loss of purpose.<\/p>\n

Turning our attention to rural Japan may offer lessons on how to restore connection, belonging, and care in contemporary life<\/strong>. Kamikatsu is a small mountain town in Shikoku Island known for its zero-waste ambitions to reduce and recycle all of our waste. In Kamikatsu, rural life is grounded in relationships of care and reciprocity. To understand the rural is to recognize that society needs to be relationally oriented.<\/p>\n

\"A
Disassembling an umbrella at Kamikatsu WHY Zero Waste Center, to understand the composition and flow of materials<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While cities are often viewed as centers of technological and economic progress, rural places like Kamikatsu are also becoming sites of innovation\u2014driven by collaboration, care, and creativity. From the town\u2019s pioneering Zero Waste system to a local brewery transforming malt waste into liquid fertilizer, and a company developing biodegradable textiles from forestry byproducts, innovation here is deeply rooted in place. What\u2019s emerging is not a divide between rural and urban, but a fluid and interwoven relationship where ideas, people, and practices co-create new ways of living and working.<\/p>\n

The government, too, is in transition. With limited resources and a shrinking tax base, it struggles to maintain basic infrastructure and services. In response, a new generation of residents are stepping in to form collectives, share responsibility, and experiment with alternative forms of local governance. This transition brings challenges, but it also opens space for meaningful (inter)generational exchange of knowledge, skills, and perspectives.<\/p>\n

\"ATraditional values of resourcefulness, reciprocity, and stewardship are interwoven with urban practices of design, architecture, and inclusiveness. Long-standing traditions are being reimagined such as the annual rethatching of kayabuki<\/em> roofs, now sustained through the support of volunteers. New forms of living are also taking shape, as remote workers find ways to stay connected to cities while also contributing to the local community. As traditional schools face closure, experimental models of education emerge in their place. While many still see the countryside as static, young migrants arrive not to consume a way of life, but to co-create kurashi<\/em> or way of life.<\/p>\n

\"AAzby Brown, author of the book Just Enough<\/em>, illustrates how villages in Edo-period Japan (over 250 years ago) were built on interdependence. Farmers, artisans, and households survived by helping each other. Society also lived within their ecological means and people were guided by principles of reuse and resourcefulness. That mindset and practice still echoes in Kamikatsu today.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s emerging in rural Japan isn\u2019t a return to the past. Urban migrants are crafting lives shaped by new values, reshaping the meaning of the kurashi<\/em> in contemporary Japan. Rurality has become a site of experimentation for sustainable futures.<\/p>\n

By turning our attention to rural Japan, it might help us restore a sense of connection, belonging, and care. Perhaps rural isn\u2019t only a place but a way of being where we reconnect and reimagine how to live well with others and with nature.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\n

Saurav Dhakal<\/h3>\n
\n
Saurav Dhakal<\/div>\n
\n

about the writer
\n Saurav Dhakal<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n

Saurav Dhakal is a sustainability advocate, climate communicator, and social entrepreneur. As Director of Sustainable Growth and Innovation at Green Growth Group, he integrates Tourism, Energy, and Agriculture for sustainable impact. He co-founded StoryCycle, promoting ecological awareness through digital storytelling, and has coached youth-led green initiatives. An adventurer and climate champion, Saurav promotes sustainable living, local production, and nature-based solutions, believing in a future rooted in natural capital and community empowerment.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

Redefining Rural Futures: Innovation, Resilience, and the Power of Local Markets<\/strong><\/p>\n

The future of rural areas is not about looking backward but embracing a new rurality that focuses on innovation, self-determination, and sustainable local markets.<\/blockquote><\/figure>\n

The rural-urban divide is becoming less relevant as rural areas are evolving and embracing new opportunities for resilience and innovation. Rural communities are not just places of tradition\u2014they are becoming hubs of ecological stewardship, technological advancement, and self-determination. Instead of separating urban and rural spaces, we should focus on their interconnections, where rural areas play a vital role in shaping sustainable futures.<\/p>\n

\"AIn my work across Nepal, especially through StoryCycle, Karesa, and DreamCities, I\u2019ve seen how rural communities are using modern tools to innovate. Through DreamCities, we engage youth in community mapping, like the Bhiman project, where local stories and aspirations are shared online to help shape better urban planning. This initiative encourages youth to contribute to their communities\u2019 sustainability, giving them a voice in the development process.<\/p>\n

\"AnKaresa is focused on strengthening local market systems in rural areas. We work with farmers to implement traceability systems, helping them track food miles and reduce carbon footprints. By connecting farmers directly to urban markets, we create a farm-to-table model that boosts their income and ensures consumers get fresher, more sustainable products. This system eliminates middlemen, improving market access for rural farmers.<\/p>\n

\"ALocal markets are crucial for bridging rural and urban economies. As these markets become more sustainable, they help rural communities build resilient economies that can withstand environmental and economic challenges. Karesa helps farmers access better markets, diversify their products, and meet urban demand. This leads to economic inclusion and strengthens rural-urban ties.<\/p>\n

While rural areas are showing innovation, outdated policies often fail to recognize their needs. Extractive industries, climate challenges, and rigid policies still pose significant barriers to growth. To support rural resilience, we need governance models that understand rural complexities while fostering connections with urban areas. Policies must allow rural communities to thrive independently while engaging with urban spaces.<\/p>\n

\"A
Encouraging UCL students from diverse backgrounds at the International Development Hub to collaborate for solution development and project implementation by partnering with local government and youth organizations. Photo: Story Cycle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rural areas are also reclaiming their cultural heritage. As cities become more homogeneous, rural communities are embracing their unique identities and blending them with modern innovations. Rural areas should not be seen as stagnant or backward but as vibrant spaces of culture, innovation, and resilience.<\/p>\n

The future of rural areas is not about looking backward but embracing a new rurality that focuses on innovation, self-determination, and sustainable local markets. By supporting rural transformation, we can ensure that both rural and urban areas work together for a sustainable, equitable future.<\/p>\n

References:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dhakal, S. (2023). StoryCycle – Community Mapping in Bhiman. StoryCycle<\/a><\/p>\n

Dhakal, S. (2023). Karesa – Empowering Rural Farmers Through Traceability Systems. StoryCycle<\/a><\/p>\n

Global Environment Facility (GEF). (2021). Leveraging Local Knowledge for Sustainable Rural Development. GEF<\/a><\/p>\n

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2020). Rural-Urban Linkages and Sustainable Development. UNDP<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

\n

Carla Gon\u00e7alves<\/h3>\n
\n
Carla Gon\u00e7alves<\/div>\n
\n

about the writer
\n Carla Gon\u00e7alves<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n

Carla Gon\u00e7alves is a Portuguese landscape architect, researching and advocating for landscape governance. She currently serves as the executive director of the Climate Centre in P\u00f3voa de Varzim.\r\n\u2003<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

The landscape is not merely scenery\u2014it is a lived place. Understanding this landscape demands that we abandon fixed boundaries and instead embrace it as a socioecological system\u2014fluid, overlapping, and continually negotiated.<\/blockquote><\/figure>\n

Landscapes Beyond Binaries<\/strong><\/p>\n

A new rurality is emerging\u2014not nostalgic, but reinvented, experimental, and adaptive. And perhaps more importantly, it’s being lived and shaped from the ground up. This new rurality resists simple categories and reflects shifting, hybrid realities. To engage seriously with this transformation, we must move beyond binaries like urban versus rural, cultural versus natural, and land versus sea. These dichotomies no longer capture the fluid, interwoven realities of today\u2019s landscapes\u2014especially in places like P\u00f3voa de Varzim, where I am writing from today, and in other geographies experiencing similar transitions.<\/p>\n

P\u00f3voa de Varzim is a municipality in Northern Portugal that defies easy classification. It\u2019s a coastal town with beaches, fishing traditions, tourism, and intensive horticulture. Yet just a few kilometres inland, agro-forestry and dairy farming dominate, shaping rural patterns of life that persist, adapt, and evolve. Its proximity to Porto (35 km) adds further complexity: commuter flows, real estate pressures, and demographic shifts blur the lines between centre and periphery, urban and rural, coastal and inland.<\/p>\n

\"A
View of the city of P\u00f3voa de Varzim from Monte de S. F\u00e9lix. Where does the urban end and the rural begin? Photo: Carla Goncalves<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In this context, the landscape is not merely scenery\u2014it is a lived place. A dynamic space shaped by ongoing relationships between ecology, economy, culture, aesthetics, and care. Understanding this landscape demands that we abandon fixed boundaries and instead embrace it as a socioecological system\u2014fluid, overlapping, and continually negotiated. Landscapes are collective processes, public goods shaped by the people who inhabit them, and constantly redefined through practice, memory, and imagination.<\/p>\n

This perspective carries institutional implications. Socioecological boundaries rarely align with political ones. Rivers, forests, and coastlines don\u2019t stop at municipal lines\u2014nor do livelihoods, cultural ties, or environmental pressures. To govern such landscapes effectively, we need governance models that are adaptive, participatory, and capable of embracing complexity. This includes integrating diverse forms of knowledge\u2014scientific, local, experiential\u2014and acknowledging the multiple values that communities place on their landscapes.<\/p>\n

Landscape thinking challenges the assumption that rural or urban areas are static, backward, or separate. There are no fixed boundaries in the landscape. Each unit is shaped by a unique combination of environmental, cultural, perceptual, and symbolic elements that transcend traditional divides. Yet governance structures often remain too rigid to accommodate this complexity. What\u2019s needed are flexible governance arenas\u2014spaces where diverse actors can co-produce knowledge, negotiate priorities, and imagine shared futures beyond administrative borders.<\/p>\n

That also means committing to landscape justice: protecting livelihoods, honouring cultural heritage, ensuring equitable access to land and water, and amplifying voices that are often sidelined in landscape planning and decision-making processes. A concrete example of this shift in Portugal is the creation of the Centro do Clima da P\u00f3voa de Varzim (Climate Centre of P\u00f3voa de Varzim). A collaborative initiative involving the Municipality, the Parish of S. Pedro de Rates, and BIOPOLIS. The Climate Centre of P\u00f3voa de Varzim embodies the principles of adaptive, co-produced governance, and it bridges scientific research, local knowledge, and institutional learning to confront the interlinked challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and territorial inequality.<\/p>\n

By fostering knowledge co-production and promoting new governance models, the Climate Centre of P\u00f3voa de Varzim reflects the complexity of today\u2019s landscapes\u2014where socioecological realities no longer align with political lines. It supports the evolving, hybrid nature of rural-urban territories, where diverse actors come together to shape shared futures. This is the new rurality in practice\u2014not defined by nostalgia, but by reinvention and forward-looking possibility.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the question isn\u2019t just how to support rural futures\u2014but how we can learn from them. The blurred boundaries of territories like P\u00f3voa de Varzim, where the urban meets the rural, the cultural meets the natural, the land meets the sea, and scientific knowledge meets political will, offer a compelling opportunity to reimagine what landscape governance and stewardship can look like\u2014both now and in the years to come.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\n

Steward Pickett<\/h3>\n
\n
Steward Pickett<\/div>\n
\n

about the writer
\n Steward Pickett<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n

Steward Pickett is a Distinguished Senior Scientist Emeritus at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York. His research focuses on the ecological structure of urban areas and the temporal dynamics of vegetation.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

The continuum of urbanity provides a tool to get beyond the urban-versus-rural dichotomy.<\/blockquote><\/figure>\n

Beyond the Urban and the Rural<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cities have been set off from their rural surroundings since time immemorial\u00a0(1<\/em>). Even in some cities today, there may be stretches of the old wall or surviving guard towers to remind us of the historic distinction. Even where the walls have been entirely removed, their shadow is visible in the form of close-in ring roads, in streets named \u201cWall\u201d, districts named \u201cStockade\u201d, or even wide tree-lined boulevards, which originally overlay the destroyed bulwarks or ramparts in some cities. Going further back, the idea of cities as demarcated sacred precincts, from which many people and certain activities were excluded, relies on a sharp distinction between city and non-city.<\/p>\n

Rural or wild places have, of course, have been the \u201cother\u201d set against the urban boundary. Before industrialization in the West (e.g., England, Northern Europe, and North America), rural areas were primarily engaged in agricultural production, possessed internal markets and exchanges, and were autonomously governed. Several economic and political trajectories disrupted the rural networks beginning in the 1700s (2<\/em>). Rural systems began to serve urban economies through migration of people to work in urban factories, the production of piece goods for urban markets, and the Parliamentary consolidation of rural land holdings to serve urban investments. This ongoing transformation was so significant that by 1968 Lefebvre\u00a0(3<\/em>) (translated to English in 1970) could write,<\/p>\n

\u201cSociety has become completely urbanized. \u2026 The urban fabric <\/em>grows, extends its borders, corrodes the residue of agrarian life. The expression, \u2018urban fabric\u2019, does not narrowly define the built world of cities, but all manifestations of the dominance of the city over the country.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Lefebvre\u2019s view of transformation between rural and urban space may still honor the ancient dichotomy too much.<\/p>\n

While all this urban transformation was underway, most ecologists continued to value and investigate places that they assumed to be pristine, undisturbed, wild, or at least to lack obvious signs of human intervention. Cities, as the epitome of human intervention, were downright reviled by the majority of ecologists. Never mind that the supposed pristine nature of many ecological research sites would prove an illusion\u00a0(4<\/em>). Fortunately, there were ecological urban iconoclasts in Europe, Asia, and even a small number in the US (5<\/em>\u201311<\/em>). It took a long time for the ecologists\u2019 gaze to shift from the wild and rural to the urban\u00a0(11<\/em>, 12<\/em>). The occasional ecological glances at cities, suburbs, and exurbs began to be consolidated into interdisciplinary research platforms and long-term research projects during the 1990s\u00a0(13<\/em>\u201315<\/em>). But this shifted gaze may still suffer from the problem of dichotomization of city and country.<\/p>\n

As urban social-ecological research matured, it has began to explore urban systems as though urban and rural weren\u2019t just polar opposites (17<\/em>\u201320<\/em>). The fundamental assumption of this alternative, non-binary approach is that urban and rural are actually mixed with each other in various places. Therefore, there is a conceptual continuum of mixtures of urban and rural features in any location. If urban were to be represented by dark green, and rural represented by very pale pastel green, the mixtures of urban and rural features would be represented by all the intermediate bands of color between the extremes.<\/p>\n

\"APure urban and pure rural might be discernable at some places in a landscape, but so would many places that mix urban versus rural livelihoods, lifestyles, and cultural expectations. Connections, some quite local, and others spanning the globe, would continuously or episodically remake the mixtures of technologies available, investment or disinvestment, human populations, and biota (21<\/em>). The hybrid conditions would be manifest in particular places, that is in ecosystems. It is crucial to recognize that what Lefebvre (22<\/em>) might call \u201cspace\u201d or urban designers, social scientists, and activists (23<\/em>, 24<\/em>) might call \u201cplace,\u201d are to urban ecologists human ecosystems. Places are the nexus of the impacts and fluxes involved in livelihood, lifestyle, and the technologies and fluxes of connectivity. These places are social-ecological systems that mediate and are altered by the interacting fluxes.<\/p>\n

This new view of the urban-rural dichotomy acknowledges the ideal end members of urban and rural, but calls attention to the rich variety of intermediate, mixed structures and processes. With so much research effort in the past having been focused on the extremes, or on questions of where is the boundary between the two, there is an immense open horizon for understanding the complex real world and relevant practice.<\/p>\n

If we follow in Lefebvre\u2019s tradition, we might say that \u201cthe urban in the sense of an inclusive, hybrid realm, is the new rural\u201d. Such a view resonates with those who call for recognizing \u201cplanetary urbanization\u201d (25<\/em>\u201327<\/em>). Without denying the value of what the urbanized planet view promises, there may also be value in exploring a refined view that focuses on mixture and hybridity. In essence, the question becomes, What might be gained in taking seriously that our inhabited, built, exploited, and preserved systems are coproduced spaces (28<\/em>\u201330<\/em>)? Here are some more specific questions that follow that idea. What aspects of the rural remain, emerge, or are reinvented in the city, or more inclusively, urbanized regions (both socially and ecologically)? Can the mixtures of urban and rural features be retooled to reinforce the benefits of each, while reducing their detriments and hazards? Will thinking of urbanity\/rurality as complementary and hybridized conditions help obviate the problems of holding rural and urban in opposition? Can \u201curbanity\u201d be harnessed to promote these changes in concept and in practice? The continuum of urbanity provides a tool to get beyond the urban-versus-rural dichotomy.<\/p>\n

References:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. L. Mumford, The City In History: Its Origins, Its Transformations, and Its Prospects<\/em> (Harcourt, New York, 1961).<\/li>\n
  2. A. Sevilla-Buitrago, \u201cUrbs in rure: historical enclosure and the extended urbanization of the countryside\u201d in Implosions\/Explosions: Towards a Study of Planetary Urbanization<\/em>, N. Brenner, Ed. (jovis Verlag, Berlin, 2014), pp. 236\u2013259.<\/li>\n
  3. H. Lefebvre, The Urban Revolution<\/em> (University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 2003).<\/li>\n
  4. W. Cronon, Uncommon Ground\u202f: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature<\/em> (W.W. Norton & Co., New York, 1996).<\/li>\n
  5. T. M. Airola, K. Buchholz, Species structure and soil characteristics of five urban forest sites along the New Jersey Palisades. Urban Ecology<\/em> 8<\/strong>, 149\u2013164 (1984).<\/li>\n
  6. S. Boyden, \u201cThe ecological study of human settlements – lessons from the Hong Kong Human Ecology Programme\u201d in Human Ecology and the Development of Settlements<\/em>, J. O. Jones, Ed. (Plenum, New York, 1976), pp. 93\u201399.<\/li>\n
  7. I. Kowarik, Herbert Sukopp \u2013 an inspiring pioneer in the field of urban ecology. Urban Ecosyst<\/em>, doi: 10.1007\/s11252-020-00983-7 (2020).<\/li>\n
  8. O. L. Loucks, \u201cSustainability in urban ecosystems: beyond an object of study\u201d in The Ecological City: Preserving and Restoring Biodiversity<\/em>, R. H. Platt, R. A. Rowntree, P. C. Muick, Eds. (University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, 1994), pp. 49\u201365.<\/li>\n
  9. H. Sukopp, \u201cOn the early history of urban ecology in Europe\u201d in Urban Ecology: An International Perspective on the Interaction between Humans and Nature<\/em>, J. Marzluff, E. Shulenberger, W. Endlicher, M. Alberti, G. Bradley, C. ZumBrunne, U. Simon, Eds. (Springer, New York, 2008), pp. 79\u201397.<\/li>\n
  10. J. Wu, W.-N. Xiang, J. Zhao, Urban ecology in China: Historical developments and future directions. Landsc. Urban Plan.<\/em> 125<\/strong>, 222\u2013233 (2014).<\/li>\n
  11. M. J. McDonnell, \u201cThe history of urban ecology: an ecologist\u2019s perspective\u201d in Urban Ecology: Patterns, Processes, and Applications<\/em>, J. Niemela, Ed. (Oxford University Press, New York, 2011), pp. 5\u201313.<\/li>\n
  12. S. E. Kingsland, The Evolution of American Ecology, 1890-2000<\/em> (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005).<\/li>\n
  13. S. E. Kingsland, \u201cUrban Ecological Science in America: The Long March to Cross-Disciplinary Research\u201d in Science for the Sustainable City: Empirical Insights from the Baltimore School of Urban Ecology<\/em>, S. T. A. Pickett, M. L. Cadenasso, J. M. Grove, E. G. Irwin, E. J. Rosi, C. M. Swan, Eds. (Yale University Press, New Haven, 2019), pp. 24\u201344.<\/li>\n
  14. N. Grimm, J. M. Grove, S. T. A. Pickett, C. Redman, Integrated Approaches to Long-Term Studies of Urban Ecological Systems. BioScience<\/em> 50<\/strong>, 571\u2013584 (2000).<\/li>\n
  15. J. M. Grove, S. T. Pickett, From transdisciplinary projects to platforms: expanding capacity and impact of land systems knowledge and decision making. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability<\/em> 38<\/strong>, 7\u201313 (2019).<\/li>\n
  16. S. T. A. Pickett, M. L. Cadenasso, J. M. Grove, C. H. Nilon, R. V. Pouyat, W. C. Zipperer, R. Costanza, Urban Ecological Systems: Linking Terrestrial Ecological, Physical, and Socioeconomic Components of Metropolitan Areas. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics<\/em> 32<\/strong>, 127\u2013157 (2001).<\/li>\n
  17. C. G. Boone, C. L. Redman, H. Blanco, D. Haase, J. Koch, S. Lwasa, H. Nagendra, S. Pauleit, S. T. A. Pickett, K. C. Seto, M. Yokohari, \u201cReconceptualizing land for sustainable urbanity\u201d in Rethinking Urban Land Use in a Global Era<\/em>, K. C. Seto, A. Reenberg, Eds. (MIT Press, Cambridge, 2014), pp. 313\u2013330.<\/li>\n
  18. Dawazhaxi, W. Zhou, W. Yu, Y. Yao, C. Jing, Understanding the indirect impacts of urbanization on vegetation growth using the Continuum of Urbanity framework. Science of The Total Environment<\/em> 899<\/strong>, 165693 (2023).<\/li>\n
  19. A. K. Hahs, Urban megaregions and the continuum of urbanity\u2014embracing new frameworks or extending the old? Ecosystem Health and Sustainability<\/em> 2<\/strong>, e01201 (2016).<\/li>\n
  20. K. C. Seto, A. Reenberg, C. G. Boone, M. Fragkias, D. Haase, T. Langanke, P. Marcotullio, D. K. Munroe, B. Olah, D. Simon, Urban land teleconnections and sustainability. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America<\/em> 109<\/strong>, 7687\u20137692 (2012).<\/li>\n
  21. W. Zhou, S. T. A. Pickett, T. McPhearson, Conceptual frameworks facilitate integration for transdisciplinary urban science. npj Urban Sustainability<\/em> 1<\/strong> (2021).<\/li>\n
  22. H. Lefebvre, The Production of Space<\/em> (Blackwell, Oxford, 1991).<\/li>\n
  23. D. Hayden, The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes and Public History<\/em> (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1995).<\/li>\n
  24. L. Nishime, K. D. Hester Williams, Eds., Racial Ecologies<\/em> (University of Washington Press, Seattle, 2018).<\/li>\n
  25. N. Brenner, Theses on Urbanization. Public Culture<\/em> 25<\/strong>, 85\u2013114 (2013).<\/li>\n
  26. N. Brenner, \u201cIntroduction: urban theory without an outside\u201d in Implosions\/Explosions: Towards a Study of Planetary Urbanization<\/em>, N. Brenner, Ed. (jovis Verlag, Berlin, 2014), pp. 14\u201330.<\/li>\n
  27. T. Elmqvist, X. Bai, N. Frantzeskaki, C. Griffith, D. Maddox, T. McPhearson, S. Parnell, P. Romero-Lankao, D. Simon, M. Watkins, Eds., Urban Planet: Knowledge towards Sustainable Cities<\/em> (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2018; https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/books\/urban-planet\/05E1CEDF6B9DF4E4B95AB8B4474C3C71<\/a>).<\/li>\n
  28. A. Rademacher, M. L. Cadenasso, S. T. A. Pickett, From feedbacks to coproduction: Toward an integrated conceptual framework for urban ecosystems. Urban Ecosystems<\/em> 22<\/strong>, 65\u201376 (2019).<\/li>\n
  29. A. Rademacher, M. L. Cadenasso, S. T. A. Pickett, Ecologies, One and All: Singularity and Plurality in Dialogue. Environmental Humanities<\/em> 15<\/strong>, 128\u2013140 (2023).<\/li>\n
  30. A. Rademacher, K. Sivaramakrishnan, Eds., Places of Nature in Ecologies of Urbanism<\/em> (Hong Kong University Press, ed. 1, 2017; https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/j.ctt1k3s9dt<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>
    \n

    Chrispin Boniface Sanga<\/h3>\n
    \n
    Chrispin Boniface Sanga<\/div>\n
    \n

    about the writer
    \n     Chrispin Boniface Sanga<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n

    Chrispin has a background in sustainability, innovation, and food science. He is experienced in supporting projects to thrive and currently works as a Project Manager at Steinbeis Europa Zentrum. His work spans projects ranging from nature-based solutions to supporting innovators and researchers across Africa and Europe. He is passionate about initiatives that deliver real impact.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

    Embracing this new rurality is not about drawing new lines, it\u2019s about dissolving old ones. It\u2019s about recognizing that resilience is not built in isolation but through networks of solidarity, exchange, and shared vision.<\/blockquote><\/figure>\n

    Rethinking the Urban-Rural Divide: A Shared Future Demands Shared Action<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Does the urban-rural divide exist? For many of us from the so-called “third world”, this is not a theoretical question-it\u2019s a lived experience. The divide is tangible, manifesting in disparities in infrastructure, opportunity, and investment. Yet the challenges we face, climate change, biodiversity loss, and economic instability do not recognize this divide. They affect us all, albeit often unequally, with rural communities disproportionately bearing the brunt of decisions made to serve urban priorities.<\/p>\n

    In this context, the notion of a “new rurality” is not nostalgic; it is necessary. It signals resilience, adaptation, and innovation rooted in proximity to nature and community-based knowledge. Many rural areas are emerging as dynamic ecosystems testing grounds for nature-based solutions and low-tech innovations born out of necessity. These grassroots efforts, while often overlooked, are crucial in shaping more sustainable and equitable futures.<\/p>\n

    The time has come to move beyond binaries and silos. As the African philosophy of Ubuntu<\/strong> reminds us \u201cI am because you are\u201d<\/strong> our futures are interconnected. We must adopt a collective lens, one that prioritizes solidarity, inclusivity, and shared responsibility. The rural and urban are not opposites; they are interdependent nodes in a broader socio-ecological network.<\/p>\n

    Policy will continue to set the direction, but it is the actions, especially those inspired by and rooted in communities that will define our trajectory. We must create spaces where rural voices are not only heard but valued; where innovation is not only technological but ecological and cultural; where no one is left behind. this means building bridges, not only between policymakers and communities but also between traditional wisdom and modern science, between local needs and global goals. It means co-creating solutions that are not imposed from the top down but emerge from the ground up, shaped by lived experience and collective wisdom.<\/p>\n

    It is my firm belief that solving today\u2019s complex and interwoven challenges whether environmental, social, or economic requires the full participation of everyone. This includes not only those who have contributed to these problems but also those who have long been on the receiving end of their consequences. Accountability and justice must walk hand in hand with inclusivity and cooperation.<\/p>\n

    We must foster a culture of open dialogue, shared responsibility, and mutual learning. This means creating spaces where local knowledge is valued just as much as scientific research or high-tech innovation. Many rural communities have, out of necessity, developed ingenious low-tech solutions that are deeply attuned to nature and community needs. These grassroots innovations hold tremendous potential especially when paired thoughtfully with modern technology to create sustainable, scalable solutions.<\/p>\n

    To move forward, we must stop thinking in rigid categories like “urban” and “rural” and start seeing our landscapes as interconnected ecosystems. These terms, while still useful administratively, should not determine the worth of places or people. What truly matters is whether life, human and non-human and nature can thrive. Whether systems support resilience, equity, and innovation. Whether communities, regardless of geography, are empowered to act and adapt.<\/p>\n

    Embracing this new rurality is not about drawing new lines, it\u2019s about dissolving old ones. It\u2019s about recognizing that resilience is not built in isolation but through networks of solidarity, exchange, and shared vision. Only then can we build futures that are not only sustainable but also just and inclusive.<\/p>\n

    This is not merely a call for inclusion. It is a call for transformation. Let\u2019s bring everyone to the table and reimagine the future, together.<\/p>\n<\/div>

    \n

    Laura Wendling<\/h3>\n
    \n
    Laura Wendling<\/div>\n
    \n

    about the writer
    \n Laura Wendling<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n

    Dr. Laura Wendling is an accomplished environmental scientist with more than two decades of experience dedicated to advancing sustainable, nature-positive solutions throughout Europe and internationally. Her expertise encompasses climate change adaptation, soil and water management, and sustainable agricultural systems development, all grounded in the principles of science-policy integration.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

    A New Rurality: Regenerative by Design<\/strong><\/p>\n

    This vision of a new rurality is not about romanticising the countryside. It is about recognising that rural communities are already innovating, crafting solutions that are creative, collaborative, and deeply contextual.<\/blockquote><\/figure>\n

    A new rurality is not a return to tradition, but neither does it abandon the past. It signifies a reinvention that honours local culture while embracing change \u2015 a vision where place-based identity, heritage, and local and traditional knowledge are preserved and woven into dynamic socio-ecological systems. These systems are not only resilient and adaptable but also rooted in the stewardship of natural capital, encompassing the ecosystems, biodiversity, and landscapes that sustain life through the delivery of ecosystem services. By acknowledging the intrinsic and economic value of nature, this approach fosters a deep connection between people and place. It is both respectful of tradition and open to innovation, nurturing social cohesion through bottom-up community action, intergenerational knowledge-sharing, and collective agency.<\/p>\n

    This new rurality transcends outdated dichotomies of urban versus rural. It recognises the fluid and interdependent nature of contemporary landscapes, where ecological and economic systems are increasingly intertwined. Rural areas are not static or peripheral; they serve as vital hubs of innovation and leadership in addressing the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, and socio-economic inequality. By empowering rural communities to lead with context-specific, community-driven solutions, we unlock their potential to shape regenerative, equitable futures.<\/p>\n

    This vision of rural development is rooted in regeneration. It looks beyond sustaining what exists and focuses on ecological, economic, and social restoration of degraded systems and landscapes. Regenerative development perceives rural areas as systems capable of generating health and wealth, not only for local populations but for broader regional and global networks. This approach values biodiversity, circular resource use, and local knowledge while encouraging innovation across multiple sectors, from agriculture and water management to energy, tourism, and food systems.<\/p>\n

    Nature-based solutions are central to this transformation. Integrating ecological thinking into land use, business models, and governance structures enables rural communities to respond to climate risks while enhancing the resilience of ecosystems. For example, hybrid approaches that combine ecological restoration with digital tools, precision agriculture, or participatory scenario planning can protect biodiversity, improve productivity, and foster a culture of stewardship.<\/p>\n

    However, regeneration must be accompanied by inclusion. Rural resilience cannot be achieved through technical solutions alone; it requires deep community engagement, cross-sector collaboration, and equitable participation. Local populations must be empowered as co-designers of their futures, with their lived experiences, identities, and values shaping every step of the process. Particular attention should be given to gender, youth, and historically marginalised voices to ensure no one is left behind in the transition.<\/p>\n

    This vision of a new rurality is not about romanticising the countryside. It is about recognising that rural communities are already innovating, crafting solutions that are creative, collaborative, and deeply contextual. With the right support through policy, finance, and knowledge exchange rural communities can lead the way toward a future that is not only sustainable but regenerative. The new rurality calls for the dismantling of artificial divisions and acknowledgement of the interconnected nature of modern landscapes. In doing so, we pave the way for a more just, equitable, and resilient world where thriving ecosystems and empowered communities grow together.<\/p>\n<\/div>

    \n

    Patrick M. Lydon<\/h3>\n
    \n
    Patrick M. Lydon<\/div>\n
    \n

    about the writer
    \n Patrick M. Lydon<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n

    An American ecological writer and artist based in East Asia, Patrick uses story and community-based actions to help us rediscover our roles as ecological beings. He writes a weekly column called The Possible City, and is an arts editor here at The Nature of Cities.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

    The Warbler’s Question<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Maybe the real reinvention isn\u2019t about redefining rurality at all. Maybe it\u2019s about listening. About remembering how to belong. About asking questions like a Bush Warbler.<\/blockquote><\/figure>\n

    Having recently moved from an inland city of 1.5 million people, to a city of 140,000 along the South Korean coast, I wake up each morning to a soundtrack that is unusual for me.<\/p>\n

    Just before sunrise here in the city of Tongyeong, a slight ruckus grows into a wild cacophony. Gulls cry as they head for the nearby port. Herons flap and squawk above them, on their way to the rice paddies over the hill. A Daurian Redstart drops into our garden, bows, flicks its tail.<\/p>\nhttps:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wonhang-Birds-Morning-Apr-19.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

    Wonhang Morning Birds at 5:30am, Apr 19.mp3<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Then from some unseen place, a Japanese Bush Warbler sings.<\/p>\n

    My head jerks around the landscape in a visual search for this bird, but they remain hidden.<\/p>\n

    This bird and I have a history. Over a decade ago, the melody of the Japanese Bush Warbler accompanied me on a multiple-year journey in Japan as I filmed and learned from the natural farmers there. In those lush fields, I witnessed something I did not think possible: dozens of productive farming ecosystems around the country with no imported nutrients or chemicals, no heavy machinery, and where all living beings were respected and given the right to live their lives.<\/p>\n

    These were places where humans made a point to support other forms of life as they went about theirs \u2014 and I thought, somehow, maybe the Bush Warbler knew it.<\/p>\n

    But this song \u2014 this bird \u2014 does not necessarily belong to the urban or<\/em> the rural.<\/p>\n

    The Japanese Bush Warbler is selective, reclusive. It avoids concrete and traffic, yet it also avoids large-scale agriculture. The Warbler\u2019s song is their message to the world, and they only sing it to places that are worthy \u2014 places where they know their message will resonate.<\/p>\n

    Somehow, they sing here, sending that long forte-piano-crescendo song across the water and through the hills that cradle this neighborhood.<\/p>\n

    Logically, I understand why. Tongyeong has an urban core, but it is largely a city of islands. Half of the island we live on is a national park. The sea surrounding us is a marine sanctuary. The road into this corner of the island is narrow, winding\u2014it slows cars, invites stillness. This is a city that is at once urban, rural, and none of the above. But more so, there is a feeling here, that this particular part of the city remembers something most others have forgotten: how to be part of a living landscape.<\/p>\n

    \"A
    View of Dangpo Port in Tongyeong, Korea, 2025, pen and watercolor, by the author<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    In much of the rapidly urbanizing world \u2014 including most of Korea \u2014 urban planning typically sees nature as a \u201cfeature\u201d or \u201cecosystem service\u201d, something to be controlled and dialed in for the benefit of humans.<\/p>\n

    Whether we stand on asphalt or farmland, the question we ask is often the same: what can nature do for us humans? Rather than seeing ourselves inside<\/em> of nature, we stand on the outside<\/em> \u2014 we are the boss with the timecard and performance chart, demanding the rest of nature to prove its worth to us.<\/p>\n

    Most contemporary eco-urbanism still abides by this way of thinking.<\/p>\n

    So, it is something of a miracle to me that in this city, I wake up to the song of the Japanese Bush Warbler, a bird who sings a different tune, for a different kind of world. Their song acknowledges, that in this corner of the city, there are humans who put aside the time cards and performance charts, and who try at least, to accept their role as ecological beings<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    Maybe the real reinvention isn\u2019t about redefining rurality at all. Maybe the way to unite means, ends, places, and people with each other and the rest of nature is simply about listening.<\/p>\n

    About remembering how to belong to something bigger than ourselves.<\/p>\n

    About asking questions like a Bush Warbler:<\/p>\n

    Is this place worthy of singing to?<\/p>\n<\/div>

    \n

    Silvia Quarta<\/h3>\n
    \n
    Silvia Quarta<\/div>\n
    \n

    about the writer
    \n     Silvia Quarta<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n

    Silvia is a drylands restoration practitioner and trainer. Born in the north of Italy, her home is in the dry, arid and wild south of Spain. She is currently involved in the Quipar Watershed restoration project, aimed at restoring 30,000 ha of land around La Junquera. Her role is creating spaces for people in the territory to reconnect with the landscape and foster a culture of care and restoration.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

    And I say: bring culture to the rural. Stop using the rural as an escape. Stop assuming rural is old. Stop centralising everything into cities. Stop thinking nobody wants to live here.<\/blockquote><\/figure>\n

    Sometimes I find myself in awe. In front of the world outside of myself, outside of my own bubble.<\/p>\n

    I\u2019m sitting on a train between Murcia and Barcelona. It takes me 6:30 hours and it costs me more than a 1:30 hour flight. Which many people would have preferred.<\/p>\n

    And I\u2019m in awe. Most people don\u2019t wonder: what is the impact of this?<\/p>\n

    But I\u2019m a horrible environmentalist too.<\/p>\n

    I live on a farm 50km away from the first supermarket, which means I own a car, and I drive it quite often. All of my 6 neighbors own a car, and drive it quite often too. Because we live in the countryside, but we were all born in cities, and we know urban comfort. We live in a quite isolated rural area, and it\u2019s much easier to go and do your groceries at the big supermarket chain than finding local organic suppliers. Harder than in Madrid or Berlin, most probably.<\/p>\n

    I spent a huge part of my free time, in these many years of rural life, going to bars, drinking, eating, and chatting. Eating anything but good local organic food. Such as grilled squids. We live at 1000 meters above sea level. Liters of beer. Nobody makes beer around here. Hard plasticky tomatoes from Almeria\u2019s greenhouses or Murcia\u2019s deadly fields. Sometimes the gin of the gin tonic is local, like the lamb, or the wine.<\/p>\n

    There\u2019s no cinema, no theatre. There\u2019s a traditional dance group, (mainly) older women and men who meet every Monday at 6 pm, in the ex-local school. There\u2019s no more kids around. The school is closed.<\/p>\n

    I\u2019m on a train to Barcelona because I\u2019m meeting friends there, and I step on the platform thirsty for bookstores, people, diverse people, music, arthouse cinemas, contemporary art, or even simply looking at people walking by in a metro station and taking in all that humanity.<\/p>\n

    I\u2019m a woman. In the rural world I live in, I mainly dress like a man. I don\u2019t want to be looked at, I don\u2019t want my femininity to be acknowledged by old hunters who sit drunk and sad at the bar, or by the mechanic who doesn\u2019t believe I can drive backward out of his garage, with a trailer behind my car.<\/p>\n

    Sometimes we organize workshops and events for people around us, we talk about regenerative agriculture and land regeneration. And we offer food on plastic plates because we should have ordered the biodegradable ones on Amazon but it was too late when we realised.<\/p>\n

    I excitedly wait for that moment of the year in which days are finally shorter, and I can sit in front of the fire every evening, watching a good movie. But when it rains and the wood is wet it\u2019s a pain.<\/p>\n

    And when April comes, I\u2019m dying to see the flowers blooming in front of my door, to go out and smell the spring, to be able to harvest elderflowers to make cookies and syrup, to see the kestrels and the swallows come back, to finally get out of the house.<\/p>\n

    In summer, we get our food from the garden, the best tomatoes in the world. But what really makes me happy is to have our parsley and celery in the freezer all year round.<\/p>\n

    We just spent the past two days on a “trashumancia<\/em>” (transhumance). A disappearing practice, the seasonal movement of livestock to new pastures. Almost 100 people between neo-rurals, urban and rural friends, 30 cows, and probably 20 horses, wandered for about 50 km, camping on a neighbouring farm for a night. It was all really for the show. There\u2019s a really young cowboy working on the farm, a local, he\u2019s about 23 years old, and a horse whisperer. He does all this basically on his own usually, with no need for this whole deployment of means.<\/p>\n

    But this: it\u2019s a celebration of the new fluidity.<\/p>\n

    Like spending a day at the bar with hunters and tractor drivers.<\/p>\n

    Or organising a bread baking day with local women, who teach us the old ways.<\/p>\n

    Or hosting an event in our village with old and new inhabitants, hearing stories of when they lived without water or electricity and everyone gave birth inside the houses, those same houses where we live today and watch Netflix, under those same old wooden beams.<\/p>\n

    We also go through loves and pains and friendships and fun silly games, but everything has changed: we\u2019re all urbanites in our 30s who have decided and chosen to live in the rural. For all these reasons.<\/p>\n

    I do need more innovation, resilience, equity, equality, open-mindedness, inclusivity, queerness, intersectionality, and sometimes having the chance to order ramen and have it delivered at home. But I love this experiment we\u2019re living in.<\/p>\n

    And I say: bring culture to the rural. Stop using the rural as an escape. Stop assuming rural is old. Stop centralising everything into cities. Stop thinking nobody wants to live here. People need access to land and housing: how can we make it possible for us, new generations that do want to live here?<\/p>\n

    \"A
    Riding through the Quipar Valley, the land we live in. Photo: Silvia Quarta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    I thought my opinion was not so relevant, but my experience may offer something new or unknown. It\u2019s simply real.<\/p>\n<\/div>

    \n

    Julia Viejobueno Cavalle<\/h3>\n
    \n
    J\u00falia Viejobueno Cavall\u00e9<\/div>\n
    \n

    about the writer
    \n J\u00falia Viejobueno Cavall\u00e9<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n

    Born on a full moon night in December 1994. From La Figuera, Priorat (Catalonia) and from a farming family. Graduated in Literary Studies from the University of Barcelona. For a few years now and despite the uncertainties she has decided to continue with her work as a farmer. She has spent half her life taking photos of her daily landscapes. In 2024 she published the book Quedar-se al tros (Vibop Edicions).<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

    Read in English.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

    A partir d\u2019aquest (re)coneixement cal que hi hagi un suport real, unes lleis i pol\u00edtiques que remin a favor per mantenir la ruralitat i per potenciar-la, sense desvirtuar-la per\u00f2 sense caure en reduccionismes o en t\u00f2pics folkloritzants.<\/blockquote><\/figure>\n

    La proposta formal de participar en aquesta taula rodona virtual m\u2019arriba al vespre de l\u2019\u00faltim divendres del mes de mar\u00e7. Obro el correu electr\u00f2nic just quan arribo a casa despr\u00e9s d\u2019un dia esporgant olivers i d\u2019entrada em costa entendre la pregunta que centra el debat. Vinc amb el cos cansat de la feina f\u00edsica i d\u2019una tarda de calor i amb el cap centrat en la feina. Quantes oliveres hem fet, quantes en falten, quan podrem cremar la rama… els seg\u00fcents dies far\u00e0 vent? Arribar\u00e0 la tempesta que a pocs quil\u00f2metres en l\u00ednia recta, a prop del mar, aquesta tarda ha deixat anar una pedregada inesperada i considerable? Pel dia, la setmana i el mes en el que estem quant temps podrem dedicar a les oliveres mentre la vinya no reclami tota l\u2019atenci\u00f3? Mentre aix\u00f2 ocupa prou espai mental tinc el mode te\u00f2ric desconnectat.<\/p>\n

    \"AM\u2019aventuro a pensar que potser en aix\u00f2 hi ha part de la resposta a com fer front a les divisions urbanes-rurals, de qu\u00e8 necessitem per abra\u00e7ar una transformaci\u00f3 d\u2019aquesta dicotomia que tingui en compte les realitats dels paisatges actuals. Segurament ho considero des d\u2019un prisma egoista o egoc\u00e8ntric per\u00f2 no perqu\u00e8 vulgui protagonisme i dictar veritats sin\u00f3 perqu\u00e8 nom\u00e9s m\u2019atreveixo a parlar del que conec m\u00e9s i visc dia a dia.<\/p>\n

    A vegades em supera el debat sobre el m\u00f3n rural i la necessitat de fer discurs per a defensar-lo, reivindicar-lo o fer-lo visible i crec que bastaria en que s\u2019entengu\u00e9s la feina que faig, que se sab\u00e9s qu\u00e8 \u00e9s des de la cosa m\u00e9s pr\u00e0ctica fins a qu\u00e8 implica a nivell social, econ\u00f2mic o ecol\u00f2gic.<\/p>\n

    En el nostre rac\u00f3 de m\u00f3n la ruralitat ve marcada en ess\u00e8ncia per la pagesia, que no deixa de ser una forma d\u2019agricultura arrelada a l\u2019entorn on es fa i d\u2019escala humana que es contraposa a una agricultura industrial que s\u2019alinea amb tota activitat industrialitzada que persegueixi l\u2019enriquiment i domini d\u2019uns quants a costa de l\u2019explotaci\u00f3 humana i de recursos naturals.<\/p>\n

    T\u00e9 un punt de nost\u00e0lgica perqu\u00e8 el despoblament \u00e9s una ombra que recorda que pot acabar-se; no \u00e9s un final rotund sin\u00f3 un degoteig que eixuga la vida, un recordatori de que la vida va apagant-se. Malgrat aix\u00f2 els pobles i la pagesia a dia d\u2019avui encara resten de peu i la reinvenci\u00f3 \u00e9s una adaptaci\u00f3 fluida i natural als canvis, d\u2019alguna manera sempre hi ha estat i continua sent-hi, i ho ha fet de tal manera que l\u2019agricultura que tenim i la manera d\u2019habitar el territori pot ser molt semblant a com havia estat en temps passats.<\/p>\n

    \"A
    Solans Pass. Photo: Julia Viejobueno<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Des d\u2019aquest present que t\u00e9 en compte m\u00e9s o menys inconscientment el passat hi ha la llavor de futur per\u00f2 cal que hi hagi un coneixement i un reconeixement tant pels que en formen part directament i des de dins com pels que n\u2019estan m\u00e9s allunyats. A partir d\u2019aquest (re)coneixement cal que hi hagi un suport real, unes lleis i pol\u00edtiques que remin a favor per mantenir la ruralitat i per potenciar-la, sense desvirtuar-la per\u00f2 sense caure en reduccionismes o en t\u00f2pics folkloritzants.<\/p>\n

    Tornant a les oliveres o a les vinyes que conreo i conreem i posant-les com exemple potser el que caldria \u00e9s que es conegu\u00e9s i reconegu\u00e9s que cultivar-les en la nostra orografia t\u00e9 uns costos i unes dificultats afegides, que la manera de fer-ho for\u00e7a artesanal t\u00e9 un impacte menor sobre la terra i l\u2019entorn, que el producte que en surt t\u00e9 unes propietats i qualitats elevades, que el que genera \u00e9s que els pobles continu\u00efn vius i no s\u2019abandonin quil\u00f2metres i quil\u00f2metres d\u2019extensi\u00f3 creant una massa forestal descuidada i uniforme, i que aix\u00f2 repercuteix tant al m\u00f3n rural com a tot el pa\u00eds (i per tant a la globalitat de tots els paisatges).<\/p>\n

    Si tenint en compte aix\u00f2 hi hagu\u00e9s una aposta per l\u2019agricultura local i per tot el que s\u2019hi relaciona o s\u2019hi pot relacionar (alimentaci\u00f3, comer\u00e7, educaci\u00f3, turisme, demografia…) el debat sobre les divisions urbanorurals potser estaria en un altre punt i potser ens el plantejar\u00edem en uns altres termes o fins i tot n\u2019albirar\u00edem el final perqu\u00e8 haur\u00edem trobat un cert equilibri i equitat.<\/p>\n

    * * *<\/strong>
    \n    <\/a><\/p>\n

    From this (re)cognition must come real support\u2014laws and policies that help preserve and strengthen rurality, without distorting it, but also without reducing it to stereotypes or folkloric clich\u00e9s.<\/blockquote><\/figure>\n

    The formal invitation to participate in this virtual roundtable arrived on the evening of the last Friday in March. I opened the email just as I was arriving home after a day of pruning olive trees, and at first, I struggled to understand the central question of the debate. I came back physically tired from the work and the afternoon heat, with my mind still focused on the day\u2019s tasks. How many olive trees have we done, how many are left, when can we burn the branches\u2026 will it be windy in the coming days? Will the storm that dropped an unexpected and considerable hailstorm just a few kilometers away, near the coast, reach us? Given the time of day, week, and month we\u2019re in, how long can we keep working on the olive trees before the vineyard demands our full attention? While all of this occupies a good deal of mental space, my theoretical thinking mode is turned off.<\/p>\n

    \"A
    Photo: Julia Viejobueno<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    I dare to think that perhaps part of the answer to how to address urban-rural divides\u2014and what we need to embrace a transformation of this dichotomy that accounts for today\u2019s landscapes\u2014lies right here. I likely see this from a selfish or egocentric perspective, but not because I want attention or to dictate truths. Rather, it’s because I only feel comfortable speaking about what I know best and live every day.<\/p>\n

    Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the debate about the rural world and the need to make a case for it, defend it, or make it visible. I believe it would be enough if people simply understood the work I do\u2014from the most practical tasks to what it implies on a social, economic, or ecological level.<\/p>\n

    In our corner of the world, rurality is essentially shaped by small-scale farming\u2014agriculture rooted in the environment where it takes place and carried out on a human scale. This contrasts with industrial agriculture, which aligns with all forms of industrialized activity that pursue the enrichment and dominance of a few at the expense of human and natural exploitation.<\/p>\n

    There is a certain nostalgia to it, because depopulation casts a shadow reminding us that it could all end\u2014not in a dramatic way, but as a steady drip that slowly dries up life, a reminder that life is fading. And yet, to this day, villages and farming still stand. Reinvention is a fluid and natural adaptation to change; in some way, it has always been present and continues to be. It has happened in such a way that the agriculture we have and the way we inhabit the land today may be very similar to how it was in the past.<\/p>\n

    \"A
    Solans Pass. Photo: Julia Viejobueno<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    From this present that more or less unconsciously considers the past, the seeds of the future are sown. But knowledge and recognition are needed\u2014both from those who are directly part of it and those who are more distant. From this (re)cognition must come real support\u2014laws and policies that help preserve and strengthen rurality, without distorting it, but also without reducing it to stereotypes or folkloric clich\u00e9s.<\/p>\n

    Returning to the olive trees and vineyards I cultivate, perhaps what\u2019s needed is for people to know and acknowledge that cultivating them in our rugged terrain comes with added costs and difficulties; that our mostly artisanal methods have a lower impact on the land and environment; that the resulting product has high qualities and properties; and that this work helps keep villages alive, prevents the abandonment of vast areas, and avoids the creation of neglected, homogeneous forests\u2014something that impacts not just the rural world but the whole country (and by extension, all landscapes).<\/p>\n

    If all this were taken into account and there were real investments in local agriculture and everything connected to it (food, trade, education, tourism, demographics…), the debate about urban-rural divisions might take a different turn. Perhaps we would frame it in other terms, or even see the beginning of its resolution\u2014because we would have found a certain balance and equity.<\/p>\n

    Translated from the original Catalan to English by Claudia Misteli<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

    \n

    Mariona Gabarr\u00f3 Rovira<\/h3>\n
    \n
    Mariona Gabarr\u00f3 Rovira<\/div>\n
    \n

    about the writer
    \n Mariona Gabarr\u00f3 Rovira<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n

    Mariona Gabarr\u00f3 Rovira is a sustainability strategist currently pursuing a master\u2019s in Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability at the Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona, with a specialization in Ecological Economics. Her interests include indigenous perspectives, Buen Vivir, and community-based approaches to ecological and social transitions.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

    If we want truly sustainable futures, we must listen to the knowledge that already exists in rural and Indigenous communities. We must stop idealizing or exploiting the rural, and instead walk together\u2014towards shared well-being.<\/blockquote><\/figure>\n

    Rethinking the Rural: <\/strong>Technology, Desire, and the Path to Buen Vivir<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Rural and urban life have often been seen as completely separate. Rural was considered slow, disconnected, and traditional\u2014while urban meant modern, fast, and innovative. But in today\u2019s world, these ideas are changing. One of the main reasons is the democratization of information. Technology and access to knowledge are no longer limited to cities, and this is changing how people relate to each other and to the land.<\/p>\n

    During my travel through South America, I spent time with Indigenous communities in Ecuador such as the Shuar and the Kichwa. In a Shuar community, I met a young guy using TikTok to share everyday life in the forest. In these places, electricity is limited and the internet only works in certain areas\u2014but still, technology and social media are finding their way in. This can be powerful: a tool to share identity, preserve culture, and build resilience in communities that are often invisible and deeply affected by environmental injustices.<\/p>\n

    However, technology also brings new tensions. As social media platforms spread urban lifestyles to rural areas, they can also shift local desires. In the Kichwa community, I heard people express feelings of poverty\u2014not because of a lack of food or land, but because they didn\u2019t own things like cars or smartphones. When the urban model is seen as the standard of success, it can create a sense of inadequacy, even in communities that hold deep, valuable knowledge and connection to their territory.<\/p>\n

    This imbalance is also visible in the opposite direction. From the urban side, the rural has often been seen mainly as a resource\u2014especially in the Global North. A place that produces food, offers nature, peace, or clean air. This often comes with a process of commodification of nature, where landscapes are valued mainly for their use or their beauty, not for their intrinsic or relational meaning. Now, as city life becomes more stressful and unaffordable, more people are moving to the countryside. But often, this shift is driven by idealization. People seek nature and calm, but they bring with them urban habits and lifestyle expectations\u2014often without adapting to the local rhythms or understanding the impact they may have on their new context. This disconnection can result in a lack of environmental care, or even conflict with local communities.<\/p>\n

    So how do we move forward?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    I believe we need a new cultural narrative\u2014one that helps us build bridges between rural and urban, tradition and innovation. For this, the Indigenous concept of Buen Vivir<\/em> (good living) can be a guide. It proposes a different way of thinking about progress\u2014not as endless growth, but as harmony. Harmony with oneself, with the community, and with the Mother Earth. Thinkers like Alberto Acosta describe Buen Vivir<\/em> as a worldview that values reciprocity, collective care, and respect for all forms of life.<\/p>\n

    Arturo Escobar reminds us that territories are not passive\u2014they are places of political action and imagination. In that sense, technology is not good or bad by itself. What matters is how we use it, and whether it helps us stay connected to the land and to each other.<\/p>\n

    If we want truly sustainable futures, we must listen to the knowledge that already exists in rural and Indigenous communities. We must stop idealizing or exploiting the rural, and instead walk together\u2014towards shared well-being.<\/p>\n

    \"A
    A Kichwa community village close to Otavalo, Ecuador. Photo: Mariona Gabarr\u00f3 Rovira<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Note:<\/strong>
    \nSeveral young Kichwa content creators are using social media to share their everyday life, territory, and culture from the Amazon. A few inspiring examples include:<\/p>\n