Unequal futures of rural mobility: Challenges for a “Smart Countrysideâ€

Gary Bosworth, Liz Price, Martin Collison and Charles Fox
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Gary Bosworth: Northumbria University, UK; University of Lincoln, UK
Liz Price: University of Lincoln, UK
Martin Collison: Collison and Associates Ltd, UK

Local Economy, 2020, vol. 35, issue 6, 586-608

Abstract: Current transport strategy in the UK is strongly urban-focused, with assumptions that technological advances in mobility will simply trickle down into rural areas. This article challenges such a view and instead draws on rural development thinking aligned to a “Smart Countryside†which emphasises the need for place-based approaches. Survey and interview methods are employed to develop a framework of rural needs associated with older people, younger people and businesses. This framework is employed to assess a range of mobility innovations that could most effectively address these needs in different rural contexts. In presenting visions of future rural mobility, the article also identifies key infrastructure as well as institutional and financial changes that are required to facilitate the roll-out of new technologies across rural areas.

Keywords: mobility; rural development; rural digital connectivity; rural innovation; rural transport; urban–rural inequality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:loceco:v:35:y:2020:i:6:p:586-608

DOI: 10.1177/0269094220968231

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