L'avenir des espaces ruraux français. Dynamiques et prospective des espaces ruraux français à l'horizon 2020

This article presents the results of a futures study of the prospects for rural areas in France between now and 2020. Philippe Perrier-Cornet, an expert on the French countryside who was in charge of the technical aspects of this study for DATAR, first describes the varying images of the countryside today. He distinguishes three types of rural area, depending on whether its main function is as a resource (for farming), as a setting for homes and leisure activities, or as natural environment (an ecosystem to be protected). The author then goes on to discuss the forces currently at work and the trends that can be observed in rural areas: their increasing use for residential purposes and the growing attraction of country living for the French; activities caught between agriculture, which is heavily dependent on the decisions of the European Union, and French policies on industrial location, which tend to change; and lastly, the growing importance of environmental concerns. For each of these major trends, he outlines the possible problems and their potential impact on these developments. Finally, after a brief description of the methodologies used, the author presents the results of the predictive study, which produced four scenarios for rural areas between now and 2020. First, the countryside mainly as a residential setting; second, sustainable towns and rural areas reliant mainly on agri-business; thirdly, sustainable towns and commercialisation of the countryside; fourthly, industrious rural areas in competition with each other. For each scenario he sets out the economic aspects, the inherent social inequalities and the political and institutional reasoning involved – in short, a very clear picture of the kind of future that they represent in embryo, with the author leaving to the decision-makers the choice of which one is the most desirable and the actions to be taken as a result.