Quality of Life and Attachments to Rural Settlements: The Basis for Regeneration and Socio-Economic Sustainability

Aleksandra Tešin, Aleksandra S. Dragin (), Maja Mijatov Ladičorbić, Tamara Jovanović, Zrinka Zadel, Tamara Surla, Kristina Košić, Juan Manuel Amezcua-Ogáyar, Alberto Calahorro-López, Boris Kuzman and Vladimir Stojanović
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Aleksandra Tešin: Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Aleksandra S. Dragin: Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Maja Mijatov Ladičorbić: Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Tamara Jovanović: Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Zrinka Zadel: Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Rijeka, 51410 Opatija, Croatia
Tamara Surla: Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Kristina Košić: Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Juan Manuel Amezcua-Ogáyar: Department of Business Organization, Marketing and Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Law, University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Alberto Calahorro-López: Department of Business Organization, Marketing and Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Law, University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Boris Kuzman: Institute of Agricultural Economics, Volgina 15, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Vladimir Stojanović: Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-19

Abstract: Balanced territorial development and improving living conditions have become the focus of rural development policies. As the number of young people moving to cities or other countries is increasing, rural settlements face serious demographic disbalances and aging societies. Quality of life and place attachment are both key variables in enhancing the social and economic capacities of rural and undeveloped communities and reducing youth out-migration. However, this topic remains underexplored, especially among younger generations, who are critical for further socio-economic sustainability. Thus, the main goal of this study was to explore young residents’ perceptions about quality of life, level of attachment to their rural homes, and their interrelationship. This study was conducted among 299 participants in rural areas of Serbia and Croatia. The results identified two quality of life factors: (1) satisfaction with the quality of infrastructure and (2) satisfaction with culture and education. Three attachment factors were extracted, among which place identity was the strongest. Additionally, the influence of quality of life and socio-demographic characteristics on place attachment was confirmed. These results provide new insights that could be very useful in creating strategies and initiatives for rural planning and strengthening rural areas’ social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

Keywords: quality of life; young residents; rural development; rural empowerment; socio-economic sustainability; depopulation; place attachment; rural areas; settlement organization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:9:p:1364-:d:1464155

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