In this presentation from the ICRPS 2017 International Comparative Rural Policy Seminar, Ray Bollman answers the following questions:

What is rural? What is policy? What is rural policy? What is comparative rural policy?

Rural is a spatial concept. The two main dimensions of rurality are (low) density and (long) distance-to-density. These spatial dimensions are the key to understanding the behaviour of rural individuals, rural enterprises and rural organizations. For any given location in this rurality framework, many other factors also influence behaviour – such as the resource base (e.g., a gold mine) or an attitude / identity (e.g. rurality per se has value) or the presence of a built infrastructure (e.g. a regional college). For example, individuals or organizations that consider “rural as identity” would behave differently but their behaviour would be constrained (or advantaged) by their rurality dimensions of density and distance-to-density. However, these factors do not define “rurality” – rather, they are the characteristics of people / enterprises / organizations that you will find in any locality defined by “density” and “distance-to-density”.

Rural policy is, by the definition of rural, a consideration of the density and distance-to-density dimensions of every policy proposal. Thus, rural policy is a constituent component of each and every policy discussion / decision. At one time in Canada, the federal government had a “rural lens” that had this exact objective.

Rural development policy is the same as metro development policy – except that “rural” development policy constitutes a focus on the constraints or opportunities arising from the rurality dimensions of density and distance-to-density. Similarly, rural community development policy is the same as urban community development policy, except for the need to take into account the rurality dimensions of density and distance-to-density.

The choice of geographic unit (or building block) for implementing a rural policy or program will depend upon the objectives of the policy or program. A community-focused policy or program should classify “communities” according to their rurality dimensions of density and distance-to-density. Similarly, a regional-focused policy or program should classify regions according to their rurality dimensions of density and distance-to-density.