Author: Gundi Knies, Thünen-Institute of Rural Studies Wellbeing, fairness, and resilience are central goals of the European Commission’s Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas (LTVRA), yet the drivers of wellbeing remain complex and...
Housing prices and rural attractiveness: case study from Czechia
Authors: Ing. Jan Pavlík, PhD. (CZU), Ing. Tereza Burešová (CZU) Rural areas can be attractive places to live, but how much do housing prices influence their attractiveness? Research emerging from GRANULAR project, led by the Czech University of Life Sciences...
Rethinking Accessibility: Universal Design in Rural Lithuania
Author: Monika Belhaj and Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė New research from the GRANULAR project highlights inclusive innovations in the Ignalina region in Lithuania. Dr. Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė and Dr. Monika Belhaj from the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, have...
Exploring Rural Futures: GRANULAR Cross-Visit in Scotland
Author: Luise Koeppen (James Hutton Institute) On 21 to 23 October 21-23, GRANULAR partners from the James Hutton Institute welcomed participants from across Europe to Aberdeenshire for a three-day cross-visit exploring rural diversity, sustainability, and innovation....
GRANULAR co-hosts Rural Proofing workshop at EU Regions Week 2025
Authors: Merveille Ntabuhashe & Maite Iglesias, AEIDL Last week was a busy week in Brussels, with the annual European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC) taking place from 13-15 October. The city saw coming from all across Europe thousands of stakeholders in a...
GRANULAR Latvian Lab showcased at the Rural Pact Conference
More than 250 participants from across Europe gathered at the Rural Pact Conference for two days of dynamic exchange and debate on the future of rural policies. Among the highlights, GRANULAR partners from PREPARE presented the project, showcasing how community-led...
Unlocking rural potential: GRANULAR partners present tools for rural resilience at ERSA 2025
Earlier this summer, the heart of European rural innovation beat strongly at the 64th European Regional Science Association (ERSA) Congress in Athens. GRANULAR partners hosted a special session on “Taking into Account Diversity to Shape just Rural Futures: Novel...
Testing the GRANULAR Rural Proofing: What Living Labs Taught Us
Author: Giulia Martino (Ecorys) Can rural proofing really help policymakers design better, fairer policies for rural areas? That’s what eight Multi-Actor Labs across Europe set out to explore as part of the GRANULAR project. From Finland to Greece, and...
Rural resilience through a gender lens: What labour data and Regional Economic Dynamics in the EU reveals
Authors: Debora Pricila Birgier & Carlos Tapia (Nordregio) In many EU Member States, rural women face persistent structural disadvantages in labour markets. This has significant implications – not just for gender equality, but for the long-term resilience of...
Measuring Climate Neutrality in Rural Areas: A New Framework from GRANULAR
Author: Yuval Damari (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Montpellier) As Europe advances towards its climate neutrality goals, rural areas play a crucial role in this transformation. However, most existing tools for monitoring climate neutrality are primarily...