Rural-urban interactions can be defined as linkages across space (such as flows of people, goods, money, information and wastes) and linkages between sectors (for example between agriculture and services and manufacturing). In broad terms, they also include “rural” activities taking place in urban centres (such as urban agriculture) and activities often classified as “urban”, such as manufacturing and services) taking place in rural settlements.

In recent decades, urban-rural interactions have intensified throughout Europe, in terms of commuter flows, recreation and leisure activities, settlement of former urban dwellers in rural areas, location of formerly urban functions and activities in rural areas, etc. In other words, the urban influence of cities on rural areas (e.g. peri-urbanization) has increased. Rural-urban linkages are important to achieve balanced economic development and to reduce vulnerability of less favoured rural regions. Rural-urban interactions have often critical influences on natural resources use and management, especially in the peri-urban interface. In order to promote harmonious territorial development, urban-rural partnerships are being set up between urban and rural communities (generally represented by local authorities but also involving NGOs and the civil society) aiming at providing services, protecting natural and environmental resources, favouring regular contacts between urban and rural communities, developing economic synergies, etc.“
Source: CEMAT Spatial Development Glossary

Rural-urban partnership relates to the cooperation between cities/towns and their surroundings. They are generally described as bottom-up approaches, which are grounded on dialogue, participation and local autonomy (CMER, 2013). They are regarded as longer processes in which several stages are run-through progressively, such as in a life-cycle: warming-up, development of a shared vision, different phases of project implementation, maturity, collaboration fatigue (Artmann et al., 2012). Last, they need voluntariness and motivated stakeholders. Generally, they relate to integrated planning and governance approaches. Their aim is to help make rural-urban linkages more efficient and less resource intensive, and to contribute to increasing territorial cohesion.

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Glossary