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The COVID-19 pandemic could be driving more households to migrate out of cities and to the countryside, but this might result in an increased demand for access to green space which, in the long run, may cause a widening of social inequalities in rural areas. On the contrary, if planned for, it could provide an opportunity for repopulation and regeneration. This article explores the underlying causes and impacts of current rural in-migration, and further, it touches on how planning can balance development while supporting communities for a rural renaissance. By using a case study area in Sweden, it examines evidence of amenity-driven in-migration flows before and during the pandemic. The findings show an increased usage of part-time housing as a result of demand for space and nature; however, this was made possible through already well functioning infrastructures. Acknowledging that it is crucial to maintain and enhance natural capital, this study suggests that the supply of services and infrastructure is essential to achieve a rural renaissance beyond temporary tourism. As people are increasingly dividing their time between their urban permanent home and their rural second home, this may further suggest that there is a need to improve the connections between urban and rural areas.

Counterurban migration is known to be driven by lifestyle motivations, in which employment considerations are more of an enabling factor than a driver. In this paper, the self-reported motives, along with labour-market and lifestyle outcomes, of counterurban migration are investigated. The focus is on trade-offs between work-related and lifestyle-related amenities for different subgroups based on recent survey data in Sweden collected from families with children in 2018-2019 who left metropolitan regions. The key results indicate that, overall, counterurban movers are satisfied with their decision and the majority cite the importance of lifestyle amenities over work-related amenities. Our conclusion is that, besides voluntary trade-offs, counterurban migration does not necessarily pose a trade-off between labour-market and lifestyle-related amenities since, to a large extent, individuals reported better outcomes in both areas. This study makes two contributions. Firstly, the data considers self-reported outcomes, including labour-market outcomes beyond income and lifestyle outcomes. Secondly, we explore individual characteristics of counterurban migrants in relation to post-migration outcomes in different destinations.

This paper examines counterurban migration among young families with children in Sweden and the extent to which these moves reflect return migration, recognising the role of family members and family roots at the destination from a life course perspective. Drawing on register data for all young families with children leaving the Swedish metropolitan areas during the years 2003–2013, we analyse the pattern of counterurban moves and explore how the families’ socioeconomic characteristics, childhood origins, and links to family networks are associated with becoming a counterurban mover and choice of destination. The results show that four out of ten counterurban movers are former urban movers who choose to return to their home region. Among them, almost all have family at the destination, indicating that family ties are important for counterurban migration. In general, urban residents with a background outside metropolitan areas are much more likely to become counterurban movers. Families’ previous residential experiences during childhood, particularly in rural areas, are found to be associated with the residential environment they choose to resettle in when leaving the big city. Counterurban movers making a return move are similar to other counterurban movers in relation to employment status, but tend to be better off economically and move longer distances than other counterurban movers.

Sustainable development affects the quality of life of spatially diverse populations, and the pursuit of improved living conditions—both objective and subjective—is often associated with residential relocation. This article examines population movements from urban to rural areas outside agglomerations. Quantitative research was first conducted to assess population changes in rural areas in Poland between 2002 and 2024 and to determine the role of urban-to-rural migration in this process. The second stage consisted of qualitative research conducted among residents of selected Polish villages. The results indicate that the largest scale of migration from urban to rural areas outside agglomerations occurred in the western part of the country, particularly in the Dolnośląskie and Wielkopolskie Voivodeships, which are characterised by high levels of socio-economic development and good spatial accessibility. New residents—counterurbanists—primarily selected areas with high natural values. The decision to relocate to the countryside stemmed mainly from a desire for lifestyle change. In many cases, the opportunity to live in rural areas enabled newcomers to realise their aspirations of establishing their own businesses, which improved both their quality of life and that of the local community.

After decades of massive family suburbanisation, we have observed a steady increase in family households in various European capitals, including Amsterdam. Currently, the number of Amsterdam families is still increasing, however the number of families leaving the city is also growing and again on the rise. How can we explain this change, particularly for settled families that used to avoid outmigration? Empirical results are obtained from a qualitative study of urban middle class parents with children of primary school age who have recently moved out of Amsterdam. The results reveal that the shortage in the supply of family housing at a reasonable price for all families is the prime incentive to move. Underneath shared financial argumentations, however, we can distinguish three types of families that have specific motivations to move: pragmatic movers, displaced families and happy movers. The motivations to move are strongly related to different parental narratives of a ‘good childhood environment’. The results reveal further that the current displacement patterns are not only class-driven but include highly educated double-income family households. This paper ends with a short discussion of how to prevent cities from becoming homogeneous, rich non-family places.

There has recently been discussion regarding how heritage rural areas are culturally affected by recent urban-to-rural migration. However, little research has been conducted on the form this process takes in post-communist contexts. Taking a geography approach to some Romanian heritage sites, this study foregrounds narratives based on interviews with local people in two villages in southern Transylvania that were formerly inhabited by different ethnicities. The results point to quite different perceptions of the cultural landscape changes in the two villages. Although both communities consciously seek to preserve and maintain a sense of place that is rooted in history, those who migrate from urban areas to these rural heritage places represent a catalyst for community resilience and development in areas such as acquisition of buildings, development of facilities, modern social services, and seeking new funding for landscape transformation. As NGOs function as a link between government, local people, newcomers to the community, and investors, we contend that more attention could be paid to channelling their funds towards investment in rural heritage. The greatest challenges to heritage are those posed by tourism, while NGOs and small investors are the driving force that helps to preserve and save cultural heritage.

The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially increased remote and hybrid working rates, creating a large group of workers whose experiences differ from those in traditional workplace settings. While previous studies have compared remote and non-remote workers in relation to productivity, performance and well-being, less attention has been given to how their mobility patterns differ. Although researchers have suggested that the ability to work remotely affects workers' mobilities, there remains limited empirical evidence comparing remote and non-remote workers' mobilities. This paper presents the first study to compare the mobilities of these groups in the UK. It focuses on four types of mobility studied in relation to remote work: counterurbanisation, commuting, multi-local work and immobility. It is the first to integrate analysis of all four mobilities, offering a novel, integrated perspective on remote work and mobility. The paper examines regional differences in these mobilities across the UK, highlighting how workers' mobility patterns vary between regions. This study draws on data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study and employs bivariate statistical tests and regression analyses. The results show that remote workers are more likely than non-remote workers to move to rural areas, own second homes and commute longer distances. These trends are pronounced in southern English regions. Remote work risks reinforcing existing inequalities between knowledge workers and manual workers and perpetuating traditional associations between mobility and urban areas in the UK. Furthermore, while remote work may generate new economic opportunities, it may also increase demand for accessible rural housing, particularly in regions surrounding London.

The position of urban allotments in the rural-urban spectrum is evaluated in this paper, which contributes to literatures on urban gardening, as well as contemporary rural-urban dynamics. Historically, European allotments can be seen as a product of urbanisation. At the same time, they embody a number of “non-urban” characteristics that create the impression of “the countryside in the city”. This research project investigates how the urban and the rural are materialised, represented and practised in five allotment sites in Brno, Czech Republic. We follow three main lines of enquiry where the urban and the rural seem to meet: the physical environment of the allotments; the social life of these spaces; and food production as one of their core functions. Critical reflection of the rural-urban perspective advances our understanding of urban gardens, while, at the same time, allotments offer an example of hybrid spaces, which, in turn, contribute to discussions on current cities and countrysides. Overcoming the urban-rural dichotomy could facilitate the inclusion of urban gardening in contemporary cities.

Multiple crises, including climate change, ecosystem degradation, economic, political and social upheavals, severely impact people's well‐being. Ecosystem services (or nature's contributions to people) play a key role during crisis that needs to be further elucidated. Most research focusses on the material benefits that ecosystems provide in times of crisis, paying less attention to intertwined intangible, nonmaterial dimensions. Yet, these intangible ecosystem benefits are often crucial for people's resilience and well‐being in times of need. We examine the role that nature plays for resilience and well‐being in times of crisis through a case study of Greece's back‐to‐the‐land movement during the European economic crisis. We conducted semistructured interviews with 76 households that had gone back‐to‐the‐land to understand why people sought to reconnect to nature and what their experiences were. Our results show that reconnecting to nature provided material ecosystem benefits such as food and income often from previously undervalued ecosystems (e.g. abandoned orchards) as well as nonmaterial ecosystem benefits such as mental health, feelings of safety, calm and independence that helped people cope with the crisis and adapt and transform to new socio‐ecological contexts. Participants reported that reconnecting to nature also changed their relational values. People mentioned gaining new perspectives, meanings and relationships with others and the natural world. While the crisis significantly affected people's material well‐being, reconnecting with nature helped people cope with crisis but also prompted a profound reevaluation of what constitutes a good life, leading to changes in their subjective and relational well‐being. This enhanced their capacity to act and plan for the future (their agency). Overall, our research emphasizes how reconnecting to nature and its multidimensional ecosystem benefits during crises can have transformative effects on individuals' resilience, well‐being and their relationships with the environment. Our research shows that not only material benefits of ecosystem services need to be valued but also intangible, nonmaterial benefits that affect material, subjective and relational dimensions of well‐being and resilience. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Περίληψη Οι πολλαπλές κρίσεις, όπως η κλιματική αλλαγή, η υποβάθμιση των οικοσυστημάτων, και οι οικονομικές, πολιτικές και κοινωνικές αναταραχές, επηρεάζουν την ευημερία των ανθρώπων. Οι οικοσυστημικές υπηρεσίες (ή οι συνεισφορές της φύσης προς τους ανθρώπους) παίζουν βασικό ρόλο κατά τη διάρκεια αυτων των κρισεων, ενας ρόλος που πρέπει να διασαφηνιστεί περαιτέρω. Οι περισσότερες έρευνες επικεντρώνονται στα υλικά οφέλη που παρέχουν τα οικοσυστήματα σε περιόδους κρίσης, δίνοντας λιγότερη προσοχή στις αλληλένδετες μη υλικές διαστάσεις. Ωστόσο, αυτά τα άυλα οφέλη των οικοσυστημάτων είναι συχνά ζωτικής σημασίας για την ανθεκτικότητα και την ευημερία των ανθρώπων σε περιόδους ανάγκης. Εξετάζουμε τον ρόλο που διαδραματίζει η φύση για την ανθεκτικότητα και την ευημερία σε περιόδους κρίσης μέσω μιας περιπτωσιολογικής μελέτης του κινήματος επιστροφής στη γη στην Ελλαδα κατά τη διάρκεια της οικονομικής κρίσης. Πραγματοποιήσαμε ημιδομημένες συνεντεύξεις με 76 νοικοκυριά που επέστρεψαν στη γη για να κατανοήσουμε γιατί οι άνθρωποι επιδίωξαν να επανασυνδεθούν με τη φύση και ποιες ήταν οι εμπειρίες τους. Τα αποτελέσματά μας δείχνουν ότι η επανασύνδεση με τη φύση παρείχε υλικά οικοσυστημικά οφέλη, όπως τροφή και εισόδημα συχνά από προηγουμένως υποτιμημένα οικοσυστήματα (π.χ. εγκαταλελειμμένα περιβόλια), καθώς και μη υλικά οικοσυστημικά οφέλη, όπως ψυχική υγεία, αισθήμα ασφάλειας, ηρεμίας και ανεξαρτησίας, που βοήθησαν τους ανθρώπους να αντιμετωπίσουν την κρίση και να προσαρμοστούν και να μετασχηματιστούν σε νέα κοινωνικο‐οικολογικά πλαίσια. Οι συμμετέχοντες ανέφεραν ότι η επανασύνδεση με τη φύση άλλαξε επίσης τις αξίες των σχέσεών τους. Οι άνθρωποι ανέφεραν ότι απέκτησαν νέες προοπτικές και σχέσεις με τους άλλους και τον φυσικό κόσμο. Ενώ η κρίση επηρέασε σημαντικά την υλική ευημερία των ανθρώπων, η επανασύνδεση με τη φύση βοήθησε τους ανθρώπους να αντιμετωπίσουν την κρίση, αλλά προκάλεσε επίσης μια βαθιά επανεκτίμηση του τι συνιστά μια καλή ζωή, οδηγώντας σε αλλαγές στην υποκειμενική και σχεσιακή ευημερία τους. Αυτό ενίσχυσε την ικανότητά τους να ενεργούν και να σχεδιάζουν το μέλλον. Συνολικά, η έρευνά μας υπογραμμίζει πώς η επανασύνδεση με τη φύση και τα πολυδιάστατα οφέλη των οικοσυστημάτων κατά τη διάρκεια κρίσεων μπορεί να έχει μετασχηματιστικές επιδράσεις στην ανθεκτικότητα των ατόμων, την ευημερία και τις σχέσεις τους με το περιβάλλον. Η έρευνά μας δείχνει ότι δεν πρέπει να αναγνωρίζονται μόνο τα υλικά οφέλη των οικοσυστημικών υπηρεσιών, αλλά και τα άυλα, μη υλικά οφέλη που επηρεάζουν τις υλικές, υποκειμενικές και σχεσιακές διαστάσεις της ευημερίας και της ανθεκτικότητας. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Even though urbanisation is the prevailing trend in modern societies, the net migration balance of Sweden’s largest cities has been negative for the past few years, and overrepresented among these migrants are families with young children. The stories of counterurbanisation have often relied on rather stereotypical representations of unsustainable city life versus sustainable rural life, thus strengthening the much criticised rural–urban binary. The aim of this article is to explore how the counterurbanising families’ ideas of “a sustainable everyday life” developed during and after the migration event. We uncover the needs, ideological foundations, practices, capacities, social atmosphere, temporality, and place-based understanding of one’s own role and responsibilities in society by studying what the families do in their everyday lives, what they are striving to achieve, and how they understand sustainability. Counterurbanising families represent a driven group that are not primarily guided by economic wants—as many of their active choices are lifestyle-driven. Our theoretical foundation highlights the structures and dimensions of social sustainability, relational place, and learning, contrasted with the subjectivity of everyday life in the urban–rural transition. Forty-five in-depth interviews (1–2 h) were conducted via video conference software, and the material was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that the views and understandings of social sustainability among counterurbanising young families highlight place-based needs and conditions, with implications for sustainability and mobility research, individuals, and contemporary society as a whole in navigating the somewhat diminishing rural–urban dichotomy.