“Rural areas are the fabric of our society and the heartbeat of our economy. They are a core part of our identity and our economic potential. We will cherish and preserve our rural areas and invest in their future,” notes Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

While urban environments face rapid urbanisation and its associated pressures, rural villages offer a different narrative – an immediate, tangible connection with nature. In contrast to the fast pace of urban life, these villages represent serene respites, encouraging a reconnection with the natural world. They also possess inherent potential to act as catalysts for change, contributing multifaceted solutions to pressing societal and environmental challenges.

This is why a new policy brief highlights the substantial importance of rural villages in the broader context of the European Union, including in their role as vibrant real-life laboratories for the New European Bauhaus (NEB), which is set to become the newest EU Mission. The brief unravels the integral role that villages play in the European landscape and communities through analytical exploration. At its core, the policy brief acknowledges that rural villages are more than mere geographical entities; they are dynamic centres of rural societies, contributing distinct characteristics to the diversity of the European environment.

This vision can be extended, serving as a model for equitable cohabitation across regions, where rural strengths and urban dynamism work in synergy to address complex global issues. At its core, the “metamorphosis of the rural” narrative throughout the policy brief emphasises the necessity to bridge gaps, foster collaboration, and harness the unique attributes of rural communities.

The policy brief’s recommendations emphasise an integrative policy approach to empower rural villages in the EU. Comprehensive development strategies are advocated for, which harness potential and foster evidence-based decision-making that is aligned with global goals. Collaboration and knowledge-sharing can be encouraged using co-creative networks and a proposed Knowledge Hub. The need for village-centric funding schemes and avenues for European funding access are highlighted, along with innovative policy-making and advocacy strategies. The importance of policy monitoring, evaluation, and capacity development is stressed, culminating in a holistic guide to uplift rural villages as sustainable and dynamic hubs of well-being.

This policy brief was written by ICLEI Europe and adelphi in the context of the BAUHAUS EUROACE Network of Villages for the Future project, which was among the projects funded by the European Commission to provide technical assistance to small and medium-sized municipalities to help them make the New European Bauhaus a reality at the local level.

In sum, the policy brief echoes that rural villages are more than passive scenes – they are catalysts for change. Rural villages emerge as vital players, inspiring transformation and weaving the threads of sustainable development into the fabric of rural life. As Rui Simão, City Councillor of Pampilhosa da Serra (Portugal), notes, “We want people to come to the villages and suddenly discover a whole new alternative way of life, which they can choose over life in cities.”

To read the policy brief in full, click here.