MA Rural Futures Planning and Innovation

The rural represents a key sphere in any discussion on sustainable development. Much is known about major trends that have impacted and that continue to impact on rurality, and significant research exists on the nature of such impacts. However, whilst we have considerable knowledge about the past and present dynamics of such impacts, we still struggle to deal with uncertainty about the future for the rural, and to anticipate and plan for the possible, probable, and desired shape of that future. This programme approaches such challenges by focusing on how innovation contributes to future planning for rurality; in other words, how to envisage and plan for a range of alternative, feasible and desirable future developments in the rural that are based on the conceptualisation, promotion and implementation of innovation across various spheres of rurality.