How do rural areas profile in the futures dreams by the Finnish youth?: Fid-Bau Portal

How do rural areas profile in the futures dreams by the Finnish youth?

Kuhmonen, Tuomas / Kuhmonen, Irene / Luoto, Liisa

Abstract Demographic trends do not give much hope for rural regions in developed economies. Many studies prescribe rural futures as manifestations of consumption of the countryside by an urban majority. However, many of these macro-images and typologies lack explicit micro-agency. This article illustrates what are the expectations from personal futures in rural areas, where specifically and by whom. The respondents of a national survey represented the Finnish youth, who described their dream future in 2030 in terms of livelihood, accommodation and lifestyle recipe. Analysis of the dreams resulted in distinct regional profiles. Urban-adjacent rural areas are profiled as places for a cosy life with spacious housing, home-based activities, nature, privacy and commuting. Rural centres (villages and parishes) had a comparative advantage in small-scale life. The advantage is related to benefits of smallness and economies of proximity: communality, safety and societal involvement. Self-made life attracted the youth to remote rural areas along with opportunities for entrepreneurship, pluriactivity and nature-related activities. Those of rural origin and a higher age increased the probability of rural destinations in the dreams. The effectiveness of rural, regional and municipal development policy could potentially benefit significantly by providing direct responses to the dreams of the youth, based on the research contributions which profile regions for the future at this level of abstraction.

Highlights • Rural macro-futures lack the what-where-who connection. • Personal micro-futures included livelihood, accommodation and lifestyle recipes. • Urban-adjacent rural areas are profiled as places for a cosy life. • Rural centres are profiled as places for a small-scale life. • Remote rural regions are profiled as places for a self-made life.