Overview

RUSTIK is a four-year transdisciplinary research project aiming to enable rural communities’ actors and policymakers to design better strategies, initiatives, and policies fostering sustainability transitions in rural areas. In consideration of increasing social and ecological challenges, the project envisages an analysis of current adaption requirements and the support of effective rural policy-making processes. The project will contribute to an advanced understanding of different rural functionalities and characteristics as well as the (future) potentials and challenges of rural areas. Central specific objectives are to provide: • a robust methodological framework for functional rural areas, • databases integrating data of different types and sources, • improved strategies and governance approaches for rural decision-makers and stakeholders, and • improved approaches for rural impact assessment and decentralised rural proofing.