In 2015, more than 160.000 people sought asylum in Sweden, twice as many as the year before and a number that far exceeded the Swedish Migration Agency’s estimation. This event tested society’s resilience capacities, as several Swedish institutions’ had to cope and adapt to the situation. By conducting a case study analysis of the local community’s response to the “refugee crisis” in a small Swedish municipality, this thesis aims to explore the pathways of rural resilience in a small Swedish municipality in response to unforeseen events, such as the “refugee crisis”. Drawing from Stenbacka’s (2013) work on rural resilience, this thesis identifies three converging pathways that contributed to forming a resilient rural community: 1) rural ties 2) open spaces for civil society, and 3) building on best practices. The findings illustrate how rural processes of learning and adapting to prevailing challenges help communities cope and adapt to unforeseen events and demonstrate how the prevailing planning discourse can benefit from adding a rural perspective. The findings also suggest a relationship between rural resilience and emotional citizenry, as the pathway to rural resilience enables spaces that unfold feelings of inclusion and belonging through interpersonal encounters.

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Disparities between regions in Sweden and the EU have been discussed in different fields throughout the years. Norrland, which is the northernmost region of Sweden, has long been recognised as being disadvantaged in comparison to the rest of the country and could be argued to have been peripheralised for centuries. The inland of Norrland is described to be even more affected by these disparities. One of the counties in the inland of Norrland is Jämtland county. The aim of this thesis was to explore how planners and other relevant actors involved in strategic planning and regional development in Jämtland portray possibilities and challenges with planning and how they described their action space in relation to the urban norm and peripheralisation. The results show that there are differences in the municipalities' self-identity regarding whether they describe themselves to be in a weaker or stronger position within the county, both in relation to strategic planning and development, but also to what extent they define themselves as peripheral and affected by the urban norm. This indicates that there is an ongoing peripheralisation process also within Jämtland county, where some municipalities are trying to assert their position as stronger while the others are feeling blamed for creating their own problems. The municipalities want to create attractiveness which could be argued to be a way of them trying to counteract the consequences of peripheralisation.

The aim of this essay is to create an increased understanding within spatial behaviour of how people relate to their surroundings and to strengthen knowledge about the importance of design. This by investigating whether it is possible, through design of the physical environment, to contribute to creating and strengthening a place for people to meet on the countryside. In this report, we will go through some spatial theories about how people perceive space as well as take a closer look at previous research and studies in urban design and environmental psychology. This study will be based in a small community in Burträsk located in Skellefteå municipality and will thus function as a case study based in reality. The results of the study are based on a location analysis to get an idea of the place's physical design as well as a survey to get answers on how people experience the physical environment.

Rural schools are facing threats due to global processes such as globalization, urbanization and demographic changes. However, schools have been shown to be significant for rural communities in geographical and social contexts, as they contribute to a sense of place through being hubs for communities, places for relationship building and integration alongside holding and reproducing local identity. Understanding why and how schools as part of rural communities matter can give an insight in how these can be supported by decision makers in future development. Addressing the gap in research regarding the importance of schools to rural communities, this thesis explores the topic by studying the planning perspective and experiences of rural schools. This is done through exploring two research questions ‘How are the municipalities working with and planning for rural schools?’ and ‘How are rural schools experienced by the children and their families?’. Drawing on qualitative semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, the results show that municipalities can plan for rural schools through comprehensive planning and place development initiatives, but that political will steers the work. The results further show that rural schools are experienced through geographical, social and cultural perspectives relating to sense of place, meaning that the values that the school holds for the communities reflect the place. The thesis contributes to the field of human geography in terms of how sense of place and rural schools are connected, and to the field of planning regarding how municipalities can plan for and work with rural schools.

Due to urbanization, Sweden’s municipalities have adapted their cities for population growth as peoples’ desire to live closer to service, jobs, and city activities have increased. This has left the rural areas with population decline as the focus have swifted towards the city areas and place attractiveness and service in the rural have decreased. Municipalities need to aim focus on rural areas again to enhance an attractive living environment for its residents, but also to increase population growth again. However, there is a problem on how profitable it is to invest new buildings and infrastructure in those areas.  This study focuses on Sundsvall municipality and its largest rural area, Indals- liden. It investigates opinions of current and recent residents on how the area can increase in attractiveness. The study points out what actions that three types of migrants (immigrants, emigrants, and home returners) want the municipality to prioritize in order to increase attractiveness and attract new residents, but also sustain a pleasant surrounding for existing residents. A rural coordinator explains the prioritized points, that have been analyzed in relative to the lifestyle migrant’s perspective. The results presents both similarities and differences between different groups of migrants on how to increase place attractiveness, but also differences and similarities between push- and pull factors that have driven them to move. Further, there are differences and similarities between the rural coordinator’s opinions and prioritized agenda, and the migrants. This study therefore concludes the importance of using the narrative of residents to ensure that the area stays attractive and have necessary service and infrastructure in order to attract new residents and provide a good living environment for current residents.

Poucas referências teóricas e práticas são encontradas em relação ao planejamento territorial de áreas rurais a nível municipal no Brasil, indicando a necessidade de ampliar a discussão sobre o tema. Neste sentido, o presente trabalho busca dar contribuições à discussão teórica e a uma proposta em torno da elaboração e revisão do Plano Diretor Municipal como instrumento capacitado e responsável por atuar no planejamento destas áreas. Para tanto, busca-se na teoria de planejamento ambiental, pontos chave capazes de conduzir a discussão sobre o cenário atual encontrado e nortear uma proposta para práticas futuras. Trazendo o olhar para uma perspectiva mais pragmática, é apresentada uma visão geral sobre a situação atual do planejamento territorial no Brasil, e como o planejamento ambiental interfere ou tem potencial de intervir sobre esta situação. Indo um pouco além e buscando em outro contexto insumos ao debate e conhecimento de outras realidades, o sistema de planejamento holandês é também descrito e analisado, ampliando a visão quanto às dificuldades e possibilidades aqui discutidas. Por fim, com base no referencial teórico e prático desenvolvido, é feita a proposta de uma estrutura base para elaboração e revisão de Planos Diretores, sistematizando e sumarizando propostas às deficiências identificadas. O trabalho foi construído fundamentalmente com base em revisão bibliográfica e documental, além de contar com casos ilustrativos, utilizando reuniões com especialistas e entrevistas semi-estruturadas. Com isto, foi possível mesclar elementos da perspectiva ambiental à perspectiva urbanística predominante no planejamento territorial municipal brasileiro, e fortalecer o debate sobre a necessidade de trabalhar tais perspectivas, seus planos e instrumentos de forma complementar e integrada, incluindo questões de recorte e escala de trabalho, bem como, de participação pública e inclusão de valores sociais no planejamento, culminando na proposta de uma estrutura base. / There are few theoretical and practical references available in relation to spatial planning of rural areas at the municipal level in Brazil, indicating the necessity of a broader discussion about this theme. In this sense, this work aims to contribute to the theoretical discussion and to make a practical proposal regarding the preparation and review processes of the municipal Master Plan, a tool able and responsible for planning these areas. Key points were selected from the theory of environmental planning to conduct the discussion about the actual scenario and to guide a proposal for future practices. A general vision of the spatial planning practice in Brazil was built, also presenting deficiencies and the connections and potential interferences of the environmental planning perspective in this context. Going further and searching for inputs to the debate in another practical context, the Dutch planning system was described and analysed, providing broader ideas in relation to the difficulties and possibilities discussed here. By the end, a basic framework to prepare and revise Master Plans was designed, based on the theoretical and practical referential developed, organizing and summarizing proposals to the identified deficiencies. The work was based on literature and document review, and illustrative case studies, counting on informal meetings with specialists and semi-structured interviews applied to practitioners. With this, it was possible to merge elements from the environmental perspective to the urban planning perspective, which still dominates the municipal spatial planning practice in Brazil, and to strength the debate about working these two perspectives together, their plans and tools, in an integrated and complementary way, including different scales and areas of planning, and emphasizing the importance of public participation and the inclusion of social values in the planning process. By the end, a basic framework was designed.

As transformações na paisagem, no meio-ambiente e nas relações socioespaciais das áreas atingidas pela implementação de Usinas Hidrelétricas na bacia do rio Uruguai, criam uma oportunidade de investigação sobre a implantação de uma Infraestrutura Verde para áreas junto a reservatórios, como um aspecto fundamental no estudo e proposição de modelos de paisagens multifuncionais que contribuam para a conservação dos ecossistemas e de seus processos naturais, e ao mesmo tempo, possibilitem a apropriação e valorização dos recursos paisagístico-ambientais e culturais das margens dos reservatórios hidrelétricos. Assim, o objetivo desta dissertação de mestrado foi avaliar a aplicação do conceito de Infraestrutura Verde na proteção, valorização e aproveitamento paisagístico-ambiental das margens dos reservatórios hidrelétricos propostos para a Bacia do rio Uruguai no seu trecho inteiramente brasileiro , com o estudo de caso específico do trecho do Reservatório da Usina Hidrelétrica Itá situado no município de Itá, no oeste do Estado de Santa Catarina. Para este estudo de caso, foi analisada, então, a organização espacial às margens do lago de Itá. Percebe-se, especialmente na borda dágua deste município, a ameaça de um desenvolvimento urbano desvinculado das questões ambientais e históricas de ocupação do território. Este aspecto pode gerar efeitos irreversíveis à estabilidade ambiental e ao potencial paisagístico e cultural da área. Cada vez mais as demandas turísticas são prioritárias nos processos de decisão, contribuindo para a privatização da orla da cidade que não só aprofunda a segregação social, como também traz prejuízos à paisagem e ao meio-ambiente, comprometendo o próprio turismo, que se baseia na atratividade paisagística da área. O cruzamento de informações referentes ao histórico da cidade, à sua situação atual e aos aspectos biofísicos locais culminou num plano paisagístico que visa integrar a cidade com sua orla e harmonizar os conflitos socioambientais identificados, estabelecendo um contínuo natural de espaços vegetados que articula paisagem, cultura e sociedade. A aplicação dos princípios da Infraestrutura Verde para um recorte espacial delimitado do município de Itá pode caracterizar-se como parte de uma estratégia para o aproveitamento e qualificação das potencialidades urbanas, paisagísticas, ambientais e culturais deste município. Mais do que isso, procura identificar oportunidades e indicar caminhos viáveis para um desenvolvimento econômico e social mais justo, que garanta uma qualidade ambiental e sustentabilidade futura, tanto para o reservatório quanto para as áreas naturais, rurais e urbanas de Itá, com a ideia de construir um lugar mais atrativo para se viver, trabalhar e visitar. / The changes in the landscape and environment and socio-spatial relations in areas affected by the implementation of Power Plants in the Uruguay river watershed creates an opportunity for research on the implementation of a Green Infrastructure for areas along the reservoir, as a fundamental aspect in the study and proposing models of multifunctional landscapes. Such models can contribute to the conservation of ecosystems and their natural processes, aiming at their integration with the appropriation and valorization of landscape-environmental and cultural resources at the waterfront of hydroelectric reservoirs. The objective of this master degree thesis was to evaluate the concept of Green Infrastructure in the protection, valorization, environmental and landscape use of the waterfront of hydroelectric reservoirs proposed for the Uruguay River watershed - in the Brazilian section - with the study case of the section of the reservoir of the Itá Power Plant located in the town of Itá in the western state of Santa Catarina. Was outlined also a proposal for the integration of the city, with the lake created from the implementation of the hydroelectric plant. For this case study was analyzed the new spatial organization on the shores of Ita lake. Especially at the city water edge, the threat of urban development released from environmental and historical land use can be seen, bringing irreversible effects to its environmental stability and its environmental and cultural potential. Increasingly the demands of tourism are priorities in decision-making, contributing to an initial process of privatization of the edge of town that not only deepens the social segregation, but also harms the landscape and the environment, affecting tourism itself, which is based on the attractiveness of the landscape area. The overlay of information relating to the historic city, its current situation and its biophysical local aspects lead to a landscape project that aims to integrate the city with its waterfront and to harmonize the social and environmental conflicts identified, emphasizing the idea of continuous vegetated spaces linking up landscape, culture and society. The implementation of principles of Green Infrastructure for a limited spatial area of the city of Itá can be characterized as part of a strategy for use and identification of urban, landscape, environmental and cultural potentialities in that town. More than that, it seeks to identify opportunities and point the way for a viable economic and social development more equitable, ensuring the environmental quality and sustainable future for both the reservoir and to natural, rural and urban areas of Itá, with the idea of building a more attractive place to live, work and visit.

Until the last half century, land development patterns in the Intermountain West were designed after the Mormon settlement pattern. With its gridiron streets and in-town farmsteads, this pattern gave families the opportunity to grow crops and raise a few animals on their one acre or less in town with the added advantage of having a social life. Over the last century, small farms have dwindled and large farms have increased in size. However, in the Intermountain West the farmstead tradition continues with families who grow gardens and raise animals on their large city lots, who value self-sufficiency, and who thrive in wide open spaces. To better understand the land uses and preferences of this population, a research survey was mailed to a sample pool of residents of Cache Valley, Utah who live on large lots with animal rights. They contributed an array of data about their backgrounds and how they are specifically using their land. Their responses validated the existence of a continued agrarian culture and gave insight on how they felt about trends in conservation subdivisions and common open space. A range of opinions about ideal lot size supported rural planners' suggestions to develop lots of varying sizes to meet the needs of a diverse population. Small farms on large lots can be a valuable part of a sustainable urban and rural environment. Local vegetables and agricultural products bring nature and natural processes back to an urban setting and reduce the environmental footprint imposed by extensive shipping. Culturally, small farmers provide a connection to the past and fulfill a lifestyle choice for a rural-minded population. Particularly in the Intermountain West, planners need to integrate these small farms into their developments to preserve the rural character of towns and cities of the region.

This research analyzed declining resource-based communities in the Rainy River District, Ontario, that is typical of the Canadian middle north, and explored their central features using several qualitative and participatory techniques. This work disengages from traditional demographic-economic analysis of decline and offers an alternative multidimensional interpretation. The analysis centers on the role of networks, diverse forms of capitals and conflicts. Literature on regional development, New Regionalism, social networks, capital, conflict, and complex evolving social systems informed the conceptual framework to guiding this research. Among other findings this research demonstrated that: First, economic-demographic “size type” indicators are insufficient to explain the complex, multidimensional, network-based, conflictive and highly politicized nature of decline. Policies based on these type of indicators are misleading and can reinforce the path dependence process of single-industry rural communities. Second, networks, capital and conflicts can be significant in the process of decline. They can speed or slow the process of change. Potentially, they can be transformed and used when planning for decline so as to steer the process toward sustainable rural planning and development. Additional factors identified and proposed for this framework included: learning, interaction, cooperation, connectivity, and psychological and institutional factors restricting rural communities from reacting to decline, and escaping from path dependence. Third, decline should be recognized in order to start a process of planning for decline and rural development. Top-down planning and policy initiatives in the Rainy River District and across North Western Ontario have not recognized a general planning gap and have glossed over the need to approach decline, and rural development generally, using a local perspective and grassroots initiatives of people and communities. Basic elements to plan for decline in rural regions were described. Fourth, rural regions, ethnicity, and power, are insufficiently recognized by New Regionalism theory. Including these elements can benefit the theory and practice of rural planning and development. Analysis of networks and planning is a mutually reinforcing approach, useful for the study and planning of rural areas. Finally, rural decline studies in Canada should pay attention to factors of ethnicity. Significant structural violence against First Nations remains in rural regions.