A growing desire for rural living is reshaping future settlements, with experts identifying seven regions in France as more livable by 2050.
Rural living gains interest
A growing desire to live in rural areas is being driven by concerns about overcrowded cities, limited energy supplies, and environmental challenges, according to Guillaume Faburel, a geographer and leader of the Post-Urban Movement.Analysis identifies future livable areas
Faburel and his team of post-urban geographers have examined thirty factors, including extreme heat, flood risks, soil quality, agricultural land availability, and land pressure, to determine which regions might be more livable by 2050. Their findings highlight seven regions, including three hill areas in Brittany, Normandy, and Poitou, and four medium mountain ranges such as parts of the Pyrenees, the Massif Central, the Morvan, and the Prealps.Challenges remain in rural areas
Faburel notes that while these regions offer more space for simpler lifestyles, challenges such as access to water and essential services still exist. He stresses that major changes in consumption and transportation habits are needed to make this shift possible.Institutional responses to urban overpopulation
The Post-Urban Movement considers two time frames: 25 to 30 years for a 2050 vision and a longer horizon up to 2100. Faburel cites examples like Spain's rural repopulation plan from 2021 and China's population limits in Beijing and Shanghai as government responses to urban overpopulation.Energy descent and economic models
Faburel questions whether capitalism can survive the energy descent, a decline in energy availability linked to the scarcity of fossil fuels. He proposes a move toward subsistence economies and shared resources like communal woodlands and land purchased by citizen groups.Preferred city size and infrastructure
Faburel estimates an ideal city size of 40,000 inhabitants, with a preferred size of 10,000, similar to many cities undergoing transformation. He opposes large infrastructure projects like massive wind farms and instead promotes the reuse of existing resources, such as the 7 million bicycles stored in garages.Integration challenges in rural areas
Faburel emphasizes the importance of humility and understanding in helping new arrivals integrate into rural communities, noting that 80% of newcomers face difficulties in adapting to rural life.Book details rural living insights
Faburel's insights are detailed in his book Where to Live?, published by Tana editions. He concludes that rural areas represent an unfinished story, with some regions still complex and others offering unexpected diversity.
