The rural way

When COVID-19 hit with its lockdowns and foreign travel restrictions, did you suddenly feel drawn to life somewhere more remote? If so, you weren't alone. Rural areas around the world suddenly found themselves overwhelmed with visitors, and in some cases, this influx even overpowered the infrastructure. But on the other side, as people got more open-minded about rural living, they also became more aware of the potential mental and physical health benefits, as well as the opportunities for more sustainable lifestyles. In this episode, we hear how rural communities in the Nordics and around the world turned the COVID-19 crisis into an opportunity and we investigate how we can develop thriving, but still sustainable rural areas over the coming decades. This episode comes from an online Nordic Talks event organized by the University of Limerick in Ireland, Nordregio in Sweden, and CoDel in the United Kingdom.