Placing `The Rural` in Territorial Governance

Abstract

Despite living in the so-called "urban age", development conflicts and global challenges have never looked more "rural" in nature. This includes the role of rural places in the context of energy and food security, natural resource extraction, a site for climate action, and the imperative of nature recovery. This chapter proposes a framework in which the diversity and complexity of rural places is revealed in a practical way, building on a conceptualisation of relational rural capitals that are fundamental to the function and potential of those places. In the context of debates concerning the future of rural areas, and the role of territorial governance in delivering a sustainable, inclusive and resilient countryside, this chapter considers the value of a place capitals perspective in unpacking, firstly, "what makes" rural places and, secondly, the ways that territorial interventions can ensure the protection, enhancement, and sensitive use of those capitals. © The Editors and Contributors Severally 2025.