Analysis of housing in depopulated rural areas: a transnational comparison

Depopulation consists of the decrease in the number of inhabitants of a region, and in Europe, isconcentrated in rural areas. The state-of-the-art reveals that there has been extensive research across multipledisciplines, but that studies on housing are scarce. However, having a home, although not sufficient, is necessary to inhabit a place. This study analyses housing in depopulated rural communities. A municipality in Spain andanother in Italy were selected, applying the comparative method. A top-down approach was used, creatingsystematic data collection sheets. This was complemented by a bottom-up perspective, which is particularlyrelevant in these areas, where macro data can obscure local data. Through visual inspection of the dwellings andsemi-structured interviews, detailed and up-to date data and GIS maps are provided, offering new synthetic andvisual information. The transnational analysis reveals similarities in the poor state of conservation of underutilised housing, which requires large investments, and little real estate activity. There are regional differences that affect the type of housing and demand. Finally, the importance of public administrations treating rural areas asa complement to urban areas in order to maintain territorial balance and equity is highlighted.