In France, rural territories have a relatively limited media audience and their investment by political scientists remains modest. However, in 2014, the municipality of Saillans sparked interest among researchers with the election of a citizens’ list. The municipality of 1,200 inhabitants drew attention to the renewal of neo-rurality and the municipalist possibilities in these territories. If the case of Saillans is rather unique, located in a region known for its voluntary policies Towards environmental transition (the Bio-Vallée), its small size is nevertheless a common feature among many French villages. Going beyond Saillan’s attractiveness, the article explores how far Such political innovation can be transmitted to the declining rural peripheries._x000D_
The presentation will focus on political alternatives that are emerging in these territories, which only declinging, but also resourceful areas : local development policies, new social organizations, political initiatives such as municipalism. The article is based on the results of two research programs, one on ‘rural exodus’ and the other on ‘left behind places’. Through interviews with inhabitants and elected officials, it explores Formerly industrialized villages and rural territories, silk mills in Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette (SJMM) and La Salle or mining activities in La Grand Combe._x000D_
The article first brings together the literature of rural Geography on neo-rurality and the literature of Urban Studies on the political alternatives developed in shrinking towns, to discuss a theoretical framework for understanding the renewal of shrinking rural municipalities. The second part compares the different cases, from the artistic renewal of La Salle, to the municipalism of SJMM, to the laborious renewal of La Grand Combe. Finally, the last part uses these political innovations to rethink the right to the city from the outside.
Maryame Amarouche, Nora Nafaa, Eric Charmes, Max Rousseau
Université Lyon 3 – UMR EVS-CRGA; Université de Strasbourg – UMR SAGE; ENTPE – UMR EVS-RIVES; CIRAD – UMR Art’Dev
ID Abstract: 544