Results
Over the course of the project, GRANULAR has delivered a coherent and integrated set of results that renew how rural areas are understood and how public action is designed in Europe. By combining advanced data analysis with knowledge co-produced in rural territories (with GRANULAR Multi-Actor Labs), the project moves beyond one-size-fits-all approaches and supports place-sensitive, evidence-informed, and just rural transitions.
In doing so, GRANULAR contributes to a deeper and more nuanced understanding of Rural Europe.
Rural diversity frameworks
GRANULAR Rural Diversity Compass is a tool designed to capture the multiple ways rural areas function and evolve. It structures rural diversity around four key functionalities: Residential, Productive, Environmental and Recreational.
The Compass reveals place-specific development dynamics, highlighting how different combinations of functions shape local opportunities and vulnerabilities.
Building on this framework, GRANULAR has developed new territorial typologies using multi-criteria classification methods. These typologies show that rural diversity is not merely descriptive but structural and policy-relevant, rooted in differences in accessibility, demographic structure, climate exposure, and economic opportunity.
Rural proofing mechanisms
Rural proofing is the process of reviewing policies through a rural lens and to make these policies fit for purpose for rural communities. GRANULAR translates evidence into policy action through rural proofing, a process that assesses how policies affect different types of rural areas.
Building on the Rural Diversity Compass and project data, GRANULAR is developing evidence on:
- Guidelines for rural proofing, tailored to diverse territorial contexts
- Pilot applications of rural proofing on selected local policies
- Recommendations for more place-sensitive and tailored rural policies.
By grounding rural proofing in empirical evidence and local validation, GRANULAR supports policies that are fit for purpose in diverse rural contexts.
Rural datasets and indicators
GRANULAR has expanded and improved the evidence base available for rural policy and practice by developing and testing new datasets, indicators, and methods.
Key indicators include:
- Screening of data relevant for characterising rural diversity in Europe
- Benchmarking of performance and costs at different geographical scales
- Practical guidelines for local data collection and use at different stages of the planning process.
- New data-collection approaches using remote sensing, mobility data, crowdsourced information, web-scraped sources, and institutional datasets
- Indicators tracking climate neutrality, socio-economic resilience (from a gender perspective), weelbeing indicators, accessibility, and connectivity.
Data fiches
GRANULAR data fiches provide simple and clear information about different datasets for better understanding rural areas.
These fiches cover a wide range of topics, including accessibility, agriculture, climate, demographics, and more. They are organised according to the four functionalities of rural areas, namely environmental, productive, recreational, and residential functions.
They provide details on the type of data available, when and where they were collected, a brief description, and how to properly cite it if you use it in your work. They also cover costs, so you know if there are any fees associated with accessing or using the data. While many datasets are free, there may be costs related to analysing the data or ensuring its quality.
Digital platform
All GRANULAR datasets and indicators developed are made accessible through the GRANULAR Digital Platform, an open online interface designed for local actors, policymakers, researchers, and citizens. The platform provides access to datasets, indicators, and documentation, and will continue to evolve until the end of the project.
Our Digital Platform will continue to grow and evolve until the end of the project.