References

Original Reference: European Commission (undated-a), European Regional Development Fund, web page, available at https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funding/erdf_en, accessed 11 July 2023.

Brief Summary: The ERDF provides funding for infrastructure, innovation, and regional development projects in Europe. RAPs should leverage ERDF funding to support rural infrastructure and innovation. PoliRuralPlus pilots can use ERDF resources to enhance connectivity, infrastructure, and digitalization in rural-urban regions, promoting balanced growth.

URL: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Original Reference: Eurofound (2016), Exploring the diversity of NEETs, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

Brief Summary: This survey highlights key trends in working conditions across Europe, including job quality and well-being. RAPs should prioritize improving working conditions in rural areas, especially in agriculture and other manual labor sectors. PoliRuralPlus pilots can integrate these insights to enhance rural employment conditions and worker satisfaction.

URL: https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/system/files/2016-06/ef1602en.pdf

Original Reference: Eurostat (2021), Living conditions in Europe – Poverty and social exclusion, web page, accessed 10 July 2023.

Brief Summary: Provides healthcare statistics across urban and rural regions in Europe. Implications: Rural areas often face challenges in healthcare access. Recommendations: RAPs should focus on improving healthcare services in rural areas to reduce inequalities and improve quality of life.

URL: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/15216629/17704280/KS-HC-23-001-EN-N.pdf

Original Reference: Eurostat (2020), Ageing Europe: Looking at the lives of older people in the EU, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

Brief Summary: Offers statistical data on regional developments, including urban and rural areas. Implications: Data-driven insights to inform regional planning. Recommendations: Use Eurostat data to identify trends and inform decision-making in RAPs for targeted rural-urban integration strategies.

URL: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-statistical-books/-/ks-02-20-655

Original Reference: Eurostat (2022b), Urban–rural Europe – Education and training, web page, accessed 10 July 2023.

Brief Summary: Explores rural-urban dynamics across Europe, including migration and employment patterns. Implications: Highlights the increasing movement between urban and rural areas. Recommendations: RAPs should focus on enhancing rural attractiveness to balance population flows and stimulate rural economies.

URL: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Urban-rural_Europe_-_introduction

Original Reference: Eurostat (undated-b), EU statistics on income and living conditions, web page, available at https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/microdata/european-union-statistics-on-income-and-living-conditions, accessed 11 July 2023.

Brief Summary: Offers microdata on income and living conditions across the EU, allowing for analysis of poverty, social exclusion, and economic disparities. Implications: Provides insights for addressing rural poverty. Recommendations: RAPs should use this data to design policies that reduce rural poverty and improve living conditions through targeted interventions.

URL: European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions

Original Reference: Evans, A. (2017), Urban change and rural continuity in gender ideologies and practices, WIDER Working Paper 2017/61, United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research, Helsinki.

Brief Summary: Discusses how gender roles and ideologies influence rural-urban migration and continuity. Implications: Gender dynamics play a role in migration and employment trends in rural areas. Recommendations: RAPs should consider gender-specific policies to ensure equitable access to resources and opportunities, reducing gender disparities in rural-urban transitions.

URL: Urban Change and Rural Continuity: Gender Ideologies

Original Reference: Dymitrow, M. (2017), ‘Degradation, restitution and the elusive culture of rural–urban thinking’, Fennia – International Journal of Geography, Vol. 195, No. 1, pp. 36–60.

Brief Summary: This study provides a geographical analysis of interactions between rural and urban regions. It suggests that RAPs focus on spatial planning that facilitates these interactions, such as improving connectivity and transportation networks. PoliRuralPlus pilots can use these insights to optimize spatial dynamics in their regions.

URL: https://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/60462

Original Reference: Euromontana (2017), Booklet of good practices, Euromontana Secretariat.

Brief Summary: This brochure highlights good practices in rural mountainous regions across Europe, focusing on sustainable development. RAPs should implement place-based development strategies that support sustainability and biodiversity in rural regions. PoliRuralPlus pilots can adopt these practices to promote environmental conservation and economic development in rural areas.

URL: https://issuu.com/euromontana/docs/brochure_good_practices_2017_en

Original Reference: European Commission (2020b), Telemedicine services extended to new islands in Greece, web page, accessed 18 July 2023.

Brief Summary: Greece’s National Reform Program outlines economic recovery and reform strategies, with a focus on green and digital transitions. RAPs should leverage reforms that promote sustainable agriculture and rural tourism. PoliRuralPlus pilots can adopt digitalization and sustainability measures to strengthen rural-urban economic synergies.

URL: Greece NRP 2023

Original Reference: Marill, M. (2020), ‘From rural Germany, integrated care grows into a global model’, Health Affairs, Vol. 39, No. 8, pp. 1282–1288.

Brief Summary: Discusses healthcare access challenges in rural areas. For PoliRuralPlus, ensuring improved healthcare infrastructure and services in RAPs is essential to support rural-urban regional cohesion.

URL: https://www.healthaffairs.org/toc/hlthaff/39/8

Original Reference: Peritogiannis, V., Rousoudi, S., Vorvolakos, T., Gioti, P., Gogou, A., Arre, A. et al (2022), ‘A comparative study of two mobile mental health units in different catchment rural areas in Greece’, International Journal of Social Psychiatry, Vol. 68, No. 2, pp. 324–333.

Brief Summary: Examines the health impacts of urbanization on rural areas. Implications: Urbanization can affect rural healthcare access and quality. Recommendations: Strengthen healthcare infrastructure in RAPs, ensuring equitable access to health services for both rural and urban populations to reduce disparities.

URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33472480/

Original Reference: Danish, A., Blais, R. and Champagne, F. (2019), ‘Strategic analysis of interventions to reduce physician shortage in rural regions’, Rural and Remote Health, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 1–3.

Brief Summary: The article explores the challenges faced by rural health systems during COVID-19 and identifies opportunities for leveraging technology to improve healthcare access. Recommendations for RAPs include integrating telemedicine and improving rural health infrastructure, aligning with PoliRuralPlus goals of enhancing rural services.

URL: https://www.rrh.org.au/journal/article/5466

Original Reference: OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) (2016), Health workforce policies in OECD countries: Right jobs, right skills, right places, OECD Publishing, Paris.

Brief Summary: Explores the detailed challenges and opportunities related to healthcare workforce distribution in rural areas. Implications for PoliRuralPlus: Focuses on improving rural healthcare services for balanced development. Recommendation: Strengthen healthcare infrastructure in rural areas through tailored RAPs to ensure balanced urban-rural development.

URL: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2016/03/health-workforce-policies-in-oecd-countries_g1g57f0f/9789264239517-en.pdf

Original Reference: Dubas-Jakóbczyk, K., Albreht, T., Behmane, D., Bryndova, L., Dimova, A., Džakula, A. et al (2020), ‘Hospital reforms in 11 central and eastern European countries between 2008 and 2019: A comparative analysis’, Health Policy, Vol. 124, No. 4, pp. 368–379.

Brief Summary: This paper discusses the role of healthcare systems in shaping regional development, particularly in rural areas. RAPs should prioritize improving rural healthcare infrastructure to ensure better access to services, contributing to balanced rural-urban development in PoliRuralPlus regions.

URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168851020300385

Original Reference: Barrantes, R. (2007), ‘Analysis of ICT demand: What is digital poverty and how to measure it?’ in Galperin, H. and Mariscal, J. (eds.), Digital poverty: Latin American and Caribbean perspectives, Instituto de Estudios Peruanos, Lima, pp. 29–53.

Brief Summary: Discusses access to ICT in rural areas and the digital divide. Recommendation: PoliRuralPlus pilots should prioritize digital infrastructure improvements to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas, which would enhance economic opportunities and access to services.

URL: DIRSI Report

Original Reference: Carroll, P., Benevenuto, R. and Caulfield, B. (2021), ‘Identifying hotspots of transport disadvantage and car dependency in rural Ireland’, Transport Policy, Vol. 101, pp. 46–56.

Brief Summary: This study identifies regions in rural Ireland that face significant transport disadvantages and high car dependency. Implications: Transport is a critical issue for rural-urban integration, with rural areas often suffering from limited public transport. Recommendations: Regional action plans should address rural transport challenges by promoting public transport, active mobility, and digital connectivity to reduce car dependency and improve access to urban services.

URL: Transport Disadvantage in Rural Ireland

Original Reference: Eurofound (2018b), Societal change and trust in institutions, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

Brief Summary: This report details how digital technologies are transforming job quality, with a focus on rural regions. RAPs should focus on ensuring digital inclusivity in rural areas to provide high-quality jobs and bridge the rural-urban digital divide. PoliRuralPlus pilots can adopt these approaches to strengthen rural economies through digital transformation.

URL: https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/system/files/2018-12/ef18036en.pdf

Original Reference: Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme Secretariat (2018), Service: e-health services for home care staff in Västernorrland (Sweden), web page, accessed 18 July 2023.

Brief Summary: Describes an initiative aimed at enhancing service delivery in remote and sparsely populated regions through technological innovations. Highlights the importance of improving connectivity and service provision in rural areas, which PoliRuralPlus can use to inform its pilot strategies.

URL: http://improve.interreg-npa.eu/

Original Reference: Weziak-Bialowolska, D. (2016), ‘Spatial variation in EU poverty with respect to health, education and living standards’, Social Indicators Research, Vol. 125, No. 2, pp. 451–479.

Brief Summary: Examines how innovation can drive growth in rural-urban networks. Recommendations: RAPs should focus on fostering innovation ecosystems that link rural and urban regions, particularly in agriculture, energy, and digital infrastructure, to promote economic development and sustainability.

URL: https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/soinre/v125y2016i2p451-479.html