Short description:

This thought-provoking book asks a simple question: can we pursue a policy of smart development and smart specialisation in rural areas?

Long description:

This thought-provoking book questions the framework of the Horizon 2020 strategy and the policies of smart development. It aims to answer the following question: Is there any possibility for a policy of smart development and smart specialization in rural and peri-urban areas? Based on detailed analytical studies, empirical and econometric methods, as well as various European case studies, several conclusions are drawn.

Smart development policies are well adapted to the developed or intermediate regions containing at the same time rural and urban areas, but do not really function for the more rural or more peripheral regions. The development policies of rural areas must be adapted to their particular characteristics, to the structure of their economies (agriculture, small firms), as well as in their diversity (distant regions, intermediate regions, rural areas near the urban areas). It appears interesting to exploit natural and cultural amenities, to develop the multifunctional character of the agriculture, to promote territorial innovation under all its forms, to favor the synergies between the various uses of land and space, and to develop the knowledge on the ecological, socioeconomic processes, as well as on the mechanisms of territorial governance.

These results are very important because they question the validity of the H2020 policy and the smart development and smart specialization policies and their applicability to the whole European area, and not only for the most urban and rich areas. It will be valuable reading for students, researchers and policy-makers in regional development, rural studies, spatial planning and economic geography.

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Table of Contents:

Foreword Dominique Foray

1. Introduction André Torre, Stefano Corsi, Michael Steiner, Fred Wallet and Hans Westlund

2. On Smart Business in Rural Areas Hans Westlund, Pia Nilsson, Sofia Wixe, Lucia Naldi

3. Smart Agriculture Stefano Corsi, Frederic Wallet

4. Smart Land Use in Rural Europe André Torre, Segolene Darly

5. Participatory Approaches About Smart Development in Rural Areas Sylvie Lardon, Christophe Soulard

6. Smart Development in Rural Regions: An Analysis of Two Austrian Case Study Regions Johannes Mossböck, Michael Steiner, Carla Apschner

7. Case Studies from Sweden: Jönköping County and Jämtland County Hans Westlund, Pia Nilsson, Sofia Wixe, Lucia Naldi

8. Two Case Studies in The Milan Metropolitan Region Stefano Corsi, Rosalia Filippini

9. Case Studies on Metropolitan Agriculture in France Amélie Gonçalves, Danielle Galliano, Gaël Plumecocq, Pierre Triboulet, Christophe Soulard, Hugo Guggenbuhl, Claire Toqué

10. Case Studies from Commodities to Local Agri-Food Planning in France Ségol?ne Darly, Johan Milian, Jean-Baptiste Traversac

11. Case Studies on Sustainable Innovation in Agrofood Chains in France Maryline Filippi, Olivier Frey, Amélie Gonçalves

12. Conclusion André Torre, Stefano Corsi, Michael Steiner, Fred Wallet and Hans Westlund