This project explores the implications of the decline of rural areas and small urban environments in the Spanish countryside. While the growing urban cores seem to be more economically relevant for institutions, the unrepresented residents along with the rich natural and cultural heritage of these regions appear to be overlooked. Consequently, local cultures are disappearing, monuments and infrastructure are decaying and nature environments, already threatened by the ongoing climate crisis, are not sustainably managed while industries profit from the resources of these forgotten lands. As a response, activism groups and social movements are demanding a necessary paradigm shift in the management and governance of these territories.
This project aims to create new knowledge to support the transition to a new narrative that integrates rural areas in the Spanish countryside into the planning process from the point of view of post-growth theory and strategies, assuring a collaboration between actors and making sure the voices of unrepresented groups of society are heard. It strives to use the local heritage, which entails a big part of the identity of these communities, as a driver to implement change and dismantle the perceived barrier between the larger urban environments and the rural populations.
Through an empirical research approach, this project aims to answer the following research question: How can a spatial perspective on post-growth planning strategies contribute to preserving cultural and ecological heritage of rural communities in the Spanish countryside?
This question is addressed through a literature review that introduces a theoretical framework that is translated into a toolkit of spatial strategies. Secondly, through the systematic analysis of interviews with officials and residents of villages from the Soria province (Spain). The collected data informs a specific action timeline that materializes theory into space.
Sustainable (spatial and economic) development, community connectivity, and ecology management are three ways a spatial approach to post-growth planning strategies can protect cultural and natural heritage. Initiatives designed to satisfy basic needs, promote community resilience, and guarantee long-term sustainability through cooperative governance and locally adapted programs can strengthen the identity of rural communities and enhance the value and accessibility of their natural and cultural heritage.