Towards a right to the rural?

Abstract

Inspired by geographical work on the right to the city, there is nascent scholarly interest in a right to the rural. Given that the concept has proven useful in the urban context for both scholars and organizers, it is indeed worth considering its intellectual and political potential in the countryside. We survey the use of the right to the city by both scholars and social movements, as well as nascent efforts to apply this theoretical framework to rural areas. We proceed to argue that struggles over access to rural space are a compelling starting point for developing a right to the rural, highlighting along the way the increasing prominence of rentiership in shaping land control struggles. Drawing on three case studies of conflicts over access to rural space in the USA we argue that a right to the rural is a concept with potential, but also caution that it is not a panacea. It is open-ended, itself a site of struggle.