ABSTRACT
Amenities – as place specific assets and services that make a given location more or less attractive to individuals and firms – deserve attention in the context of policies intended to promote smart development in rural areas. The literature highlights that rural areas lack the necessary resources and levers to foster growth and innovation; levers and resources found in metropolitan areas and in some medium-sized towns. Local entrepreneurs in rural areas can be encouraged to “borrow size” – and with it, knowledge – in several ways, among which the most standard are direct subsidies or tax incentives for R&D. The main characteristics of rural areas are the geographical distance separating individuals and villages from one another, on the one hand, and their lower density on the other. Digital connectivity and improved digital skills increase the attractiveness of rural areas especially for young and qualified people.
