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Measuring Access to Services of General Interest as a Diagnostic Tool to Identify Well-Being Disparities between Rural Areas in Europe

Author

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  • Mar Ortega-Reig

    (Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain)

  • Carsten Schürmann

    (TCP International, Heilbronner Straße 150, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Adrian Ferrandis Martínez

    (Interuniversity Institute for Local Development (IIDL) and Department of Geography, Universitat de València; Carrer del Serpis, 29, 46022 València, Spain)

  • Andrew Copus

    (Karelian Institute, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistokatu 2, FI-80100 Joensuu, Finland)

Abstract

The gradual reorientation of rural policy paradigms away from competitiveness and economic growth and towards well-being and sustainability creates a need for more appropriate diagnostic tools to assess disparities and policy outcomes. One of the most cited determinants of rural well-being is access to Services of General Interest. Areas with relatively poor access to services can be described as “inner peripheries”, and peripherisation literature provides helpful insights into the challenges faced and policy needs. This paper presents a methodology for modelling and mapping access to a suite of ten key services, covering all of Europe at a 2.5 km grid square level. The approach is intrinsically relative, comparing the travel time to services from each grid square with the average for surrounding regions. Maps are provided for 2017 and 2021, and changes between these dates are described. ‘Inner peripheries’ are found in every country, their configuration being influenced not only by geographical features, but also by service delivery practices. Further analysis explores patterns of risk, identifying areas in which service provision is in a precarious position. The results presented are rich in practical policy implications, not least the suggestion that, in terms of patterns of well-being, local roads are at least as important as trunk infrastructure.

Suggested Citation

  • Mar Ortega-Reig & Carsten Schürmann & Adrian Ferrandis Martínez & Andrew Copus, 2023. "Measuring Access to Services of General Interest as a Diagnostic Tool to Identify Well-Being Disparities between Rural Areas in Europe," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-30, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:5:p:1049-:d:1144784
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