<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The increase of accessibility is one of the most important strategies to achieve territorial cohesion and slow down depopulation processes in rural areas. Accessibility is a wide concept with a range of interpretations. When it comes to rural areas, usual accessibility measures introducing proximity and ease of physical connection could lead to misinterpretations and a lack of knowledge for rural areas. This study proposes an accessibility analysis based on connection and function of one of the most depopulated territories in inland Spain: the province of Guadalajara (NUTS-3) which constitutes an interesting case-study because its proximity to the Spanish capital city (Madrid) and the integration of part of the province on its dynamics and economic processes. Results show different rural accessibility levels useful for public policies and decision making on infrastructures. In addition, the accessibility model suggested can be applied in other depopulated rural areas of Europe.</p>
</abstract>

The increase of accessibility is one of the most important strategies to achieve territorial cohesion and slow down depopulation processes in rural areas. Accessibility is a wide concept with a range of interpretations. When it comes to rural areas, usual accessibility measures introducing proximity and ease of physical connection could lead to misinterpretations and a lack of knowledge for rural areas. This study proposes an accessibility analysis based on connection and function of one of the most depopulated territories in inland Spain: the province of Guadalajara (NUTS-3) which constitutes an interesting case-study because its proximity to the Spanish capital city (Madrid) and the integration of part of the province on its dynamics and economic processes. Results show different rural accessibility levels useful for public policies and decision making on infrastructures. In addition, the accessibility model suggested can be applied in other depopulated rural areas of Europe.

Closeness is Not Accessibility: Isolation and Depopulated Rural Areas in the Proximity of Metropolitan Urban Areas, A Case-Study in Inland Spain

European Countryside

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The increase of accessibility is one of the most important strategies to achieve territorial cohesion and slow down depopulation processes in rural areas....

Closeness is Not Accessibility: Isolation and Depopulated Rural Areas in the Proximity of Metropolitan Urban Areas, A Case-Study in Inland Spain

Published Online: Jul 12, 2021

Page range: 410 - 435

Received: Jan 16, 2021

Accepted: Mar 19, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2021-0025

Keywords
Accessibility, Depopulated rural areas, proximity, Guadalajara province

© 2021 H. S. Martínez Sánchez-Mateos et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Closeness is Not Accessibility: Isolation and Depopulated Rural Areas in the Proximity of Metropolitan Urban Areas, A Case-Study in Inland Spain

Published Online: Jul 12, 2021

Page range: 410 - 435

Received: Jan 16, 2021

Accepted: Mar 19, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2021-0025

KeywordsAccessibility, Depopulated rural areas, proximity, Guadalajara province

© 2021 H. S. Martínez Sánchez-Mateos et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Accessibility, Depopulated rural areas, proximity, Guadalajara province