NEWS A new research project at the Department of Geography has received nearly six million SEK from Formas to investigate how social infrastructure can enhance social inclusion in small villages located in sparsely populated areas in Sweden, Austria, and Australia. The project, led by Doris Carson, is based on international collaboration and comparative case studies looking at how to develop sustainable and inclusive social meeting spaces for local communities.
In many small rural villages, opportunities for social interaction have declined over time largely because schools, shops, and other key meeting places have shut down or vanished. The project "Social futures of small villages" will investigate how villages can rebuild and expand social infrastructure that strengthens inclusion, particularly for groups at risk of social exclusion.
With this project, we want to contribute to strengthening the capacity of the villages themselves to create inclusive social environments.
“We can see how the loss of social meeting places affects people, especially newcomers, the elderly, and young people,” says Doris Carson, Associate Professor and project leader at the Department of Geography. “With this project, we want to contribute to strengthening the capacity of the villages themselves to create inclusive social environments. Key to this is recognising that village communities are diverse and constantly changing as a result of migration and mobility. This also means that the places and modes of social interaction are changing. New social infrastructure solutions will need to include a range of formats that meet the needs of different village populations, not just traditional physical spaces, but also mobile, temporary, and technological ways of connecting people.”
The project is a collaboration between Umeå University, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg in Austria, and the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia. By studying villages in different countries and sharing ideas and experiences, the researchers aim to co-create new models for social infrastructure.
“The international collaboration is crucial,” emphasises co-investigator Dean Carson, who has long-standing research connections in rural Australia and is currently a visiting professor at Umeå University’s Department of Epidemiology and Global Health. “Small villages look different depending on culture and social systems, and we have a lot to learn from each other. By connecting villages from different countries, we hope to develop and exchange ideas that really work in practice.”
The researchers will apply an innovative method known as a “social festival,” where village residents engage in an ongoing dialogue about social inclusion, identify barriers, and co-design ideas for new social spaces. The project will culminate in a festival day in each country, during which the results will be shared and ideas disseminated to additional villages and municipalities.
Our goal is to foster tangible improvements in social infrastructure and inclusion directly within the villages themselves.
Professor Andreas Koch from Paris Lodron University of Salzburg has previously worked with social festivals in peripheral villages of the Austrian Alps and emphasises the societal value of such action-oriented research methods:
“Our goal is to foster tangible improvements in social infrastructure and inclusion directly within the villages themselves,” he says. “It’s not just about scientific research but about engaging local communities and providing people the tools to shape their own social future.”
The project responds to Formas’ strategic agenda for sustainable spatial planning and aims to redirect attention to the lived realities and social infrastructure needs of small villages located in what’s often referred to as declining rural peripheries. By focusing on the villagers’ own resources and engagement, the researchers seek to demonstrate how local knowledge and creativity can serve as a catalyst for development. Ultimately, the project aims to inspire more small villages to chart their own pathways forward, strengthen community cohesion, and cultivate a vibrant countryside where residents feel empowered to shape their own futures.
