IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/eurcou/v13y2021i2p388-409n2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Innovative Local Policies in Portuguese Low-Density Rural Areas

Author

Listed:
  • Lopes Raul

    (ICSTE – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Mota Bruno

    (Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal)

Abstract

Nowadays, the issue of rural development has a central place on the agenda of policy-makers, prompting a discussion on the instrumental and procedural options of public policies. This paper seeks to contribute to the reflection on the potentialities and limitations of promoting rural development based on innovative strategies sustained by territorial governance modalities, which entail an active involvement of local agents, especially local authorities. For this, it takes as case studies three public policy experiences led by local authorities within a Portuguese low-density region, with one of the lowest development rates among EU regions. Specifically, it aims to discuss: (a) the effectiveness of adopting innovative policies in the context of low-density rural areas; and (2) the role of territorial governance in the success of those policies. The research followed a document analysis and interviews with local development actors. The analysis suggests that peripheral rural areas are not condemned to human desertification. There is a wide spectrum of opportunities for these areas. They can bring together a strategic view of the future, and an institutional leadership capable of dynamizing an adjusted territorial governance model. This is the challenge currently facing rural development policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Lopes Raul & Mota Bruno, 2021. "Innovative Local Policies in Portuguese Low-Density Rural Areas," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 13(2), pages 388-409, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:eurcou:v:13:y:2021:i:2:p:388-409:n:2
    DOI: 10.2478/euco-2021-0024
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2021-0024
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.2478/euco-2021-0024?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vrs:eurcou:v:13:y:2021:i:2:p:388-409:n:2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciendo.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.