Coordinated by Wageningen University, the recently started project ROBUST will analyze rural-urban interactions in Europe using an inter- and transdisciplinary approach. The project brings together research and practice partners from 24 European countries to analyze rural-urban interactions and specifically 5 functional relations. These main topics are New businesses and labour market, Public infrastructures and social services, Sustainable food systems, Cultural connections, Ecosystem services. The work of ROBUST is rooted in 11 living labs in which policy makers, researchers, citizens, businesses and other stakeholders develop and test new solutions for rural-urban interactions.

The overall goal of ROBUST is to a) advance our understanding of the interactions and dependencies between rural, peri-urban and urban areas and b) to identify and promote policies, governance models and practices that foster mutually beneficial relations. Improved governance arrangements and synergies between rural, peri-urban and urban areas will in turn contribute to Europe’s smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, maximising the creation of rural jobs and value-added.