Utdöende landsbygd? : Hur representeras landsbygd i kommunal policy?

This thesis examines how the countryside is represented in municipal policy. It examines the countrysidein a position of vulnerability and political and economic marginalisation. Where this marginalisation hasled to a geographically centralised increase of populism. Strategic actions and how these places arerepresented in municipal policy is decisive for the countryside’s survival and development. But also, fora decrease of populism and the gaining of political stabilisation.The thesis studies three municipal strategic documents for local development, and analyses what isproduced as flawed and what actions that describes as necessary to remain fairly, equivalent livingconditions irrespective of geographical location. Strategic documents for development imply a meaningmakingproduct and form the basis for how the effects of urbanization are perceived and managed. Theambition is to understand how rural municipalities strategic development plans present the picture ofwhat problems urbanization creates, who or what is the cause, what solutions or strategies are presentedand what relational dimensions there are between urban and rural areas.The importance of places comes into being because they have meaning for each other. The thesis willtherefore have a place-relational setting, where urbanization is discussed from a place-relationalperspective. How the countryside is represented in municipal policy will be discussed based on therelationship or conflict between location-independent equality and economic growth