Building bridges between cities and the countryside

The traditional view of city-countryside relations as opposing urban and rural areas now seems obsolete. While the countryside has historically been emptied to the benefit of the cities, the current challenges of the socio-ecological transition are changing the situation and calling for a rethinking of the forms of reciprocity between town and country. First and foremost, the trend has been reversed by questioning a model of urban densification. Environmental and noise pollution, population density and the exorbitant cost of urban housing have led to an urban exodus. The Covid pandemic, along with the development of telecommuting and a rethinking of lifestyle choices and locations, was a catalyst. The urban exodus is a human response to the environmental transition, but it can also be a threat if it takes place at the expense of the land. Achieving this rebalancing in favour of the countryside presupposes resolving the profound territorial inequalities that have arisen with cities, particularly in terms of concentration of economic activities and employment opportunities. How can we support this geographical transition? Are public policies doing enough to develop the countryside economically? Can inequalities in opportunities between town and country be eliminated?