Rural Depopulation as a Socio-spatial Process: Inequalities, Employment, and Social Change

Rural areas in Greece are undergoing profound socio-spatial transformations associated with demographic decline, ageing, changing agricultural economies, and increasing environmental pressures. In coastal rural regions in particular, these processes are closely linked to the gradual reduction and fragmentation of agricultural land, driven by urban sprawl, tourism-related development, and shifting land-use patterns. These dynamics contribute not only to changes in rural production systems, but also to the transformation of rural landscapes, local identities, and spatial inequalities. This presentation examines the reduction of high-productivity agricultural land in the Municipality of Ilida (Western Peloponnese), focusing on the coastal zone regulated by the Urban Development Control Zone (ZOE). The study investigates the extent to which spatial planning policies have succeeded in protecting rural space amid increasing development pressures and broader rural restructuring processes. Drawing on spatial planning analysis and the examination of land-use change over time, the presentation explores the relationship between agricultural land reduction, urban expansion, and the changing socio-spatial character of the countryside. Particular emphasis is placed on how these transformations intersect with long-term demographic decline and the weakening of the productive rural base. The findings reveal a significant and long-term reduction of rural space, accompanied by increasing pressures on agricultural land and substantial changes in the physiognomy of the area. The study also evaluates the effectiveness and limitations of the existing planning framework, highlighting the challenges of regulating coastal rural areas under conditions of economic transition and uneven rural development.

This paper examines recent developments in spatial inequalities across European Union regions with diverse social, political, and geographical characteristics. Moving beyond conventional comparative approaches, it analyses regional disparities, particularly in rural areas, through the lens of Geographical Political Economy and institutional geographical analysis. The study focuses on the regions of Sweden, a mature economy in the European core; Romania, a newer EU member facing structural constraints; and Greece, a semi-peripheral economy marked by pronounced spatial unevenness. Particular attention is given to the role of the agricultural sector, which remains significant in the latter two countries. From a methodological perspective, quantitative methods are applied at both urban and regional levels for the sub-periods 2015–2019 and 2020–2024, using Eurostat data. Firstly, at the urban level, the urban hierarchy in the three countries under study is analysed using the rank–size rule for cities with populations exceeding 50,000 inhabitants. Secondly, at regional level, the Hirschman–Herfindahl (H–H) index is used to examine the regional and sectoral distribution of the labour force across the two study periods. The analysis is further complemented by calculating the location quotient (LQ) to identify the key productive sectors of each region, detect rural regions, and assess the impact of successive crises on them. The study concludes that regional disparities have been widening, both between rural and non-rural regions and among rural regions themselves, highlighting the decisive role of path-dependent processes and structural deficiencies in shaping spatial unevenness.

This paper examines the dialectical relationship between spatial fixes and labour flexibilisation in Greece, positioning touristification as a key contemporary form of capital's spatial fix. Building on Harvey's spatial-fix theory and the circuits-of-capital framework, the paper draws on a multi-scalar methodology that combines Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) with employment data to trace capital switching between the primary and secondary circuits of accumulation and to analyse its implications for labour recomposition across sectors and regions. The findings confirm that the Greek economy has long relied on the built environment as a central site of value extraction. However, in the aftermath of the 2008–2009 crisis, a structural shift occurred from construction-led growth to tourism-oriented accumulation. This transition reflects a reconfiguration of spatial fixes, whereby investment increasingly targets tourism-related land uses, infrastructure, and real estate, signalling the consolidation of touristification within the secondary circuit of capital. Simultaneously, labour markets have undergone intensified devaluation, manifested through the expansion of part-time, temporary, and other forms of precarious employment. These dynamics are particularly evident in tourism and construction, where flexibilisation functions as a mechanism for restoring profitability under conditions of capital devalorisation. The analysis further demonstrates that the contrast between Attica's urban touristification and the South Aegean's resort-based model represents complementary expressions of a single accumulation regime rather than divergent development paths. Touristification operates across both urban and rural contexts, reinforcing uneven geographical development and embedding local economies within transnational circuits of capital. The paper argues that spatial fixes and labour devaluation function as intertwined crisis-management strategies. While tourism-led growth may temporarily absorb overaccumulated capital and stabilise accumulation, it simultaneously entrenches precarious labour and reproduces structural inequalities, thereby exposing the inherent limits of spatial fixes in resolving capitalist crises.