'Going Rural': Counter-urbanisation in times of crisis

• Project Dates: 2013 - 2014
• Project Leader: Menelaos Gkartzios
• Staff: Guy Garrod and Kyriaki Remoundou
• Sponsors: Latsis Public Benefit Foundation

This research explored counter-urban mobilities in Greece, triggered by the economic crisis. Theoretically, the project was linked to wider discussions on counterurbanisation, that most western societies had been experiencing, highlighting the growth of ‘rural lifestyle’ preferences amongst urban residents. The Greek case contributed to these debates by exploring the potential of a crisis-led counterurbanisation and by highlighting its implications, beyond the impacts commonly cited in the literature, such as the colonisation of the countryside by middle-class residents. Empirically, the research drew on data from a survey, combining a choice experiment with a wider questionnaire, which investigated willingness to relocate as well as motivations, obstacles and residential preferences associated with this choice.