ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the emphasis on adherence to the principles of a free market economy, as recommended by the World Bank and the IMF, has led to increasing differentiation between rural and urban areas and seeks to draw attention to some of the potential implications of such transformations. A. Marksoo has drawn attention to the highly significant linkage between urban and rural employment. She thus highlights the critical need for the enhancement of rural employment possibilities in order to prevent massive future migration from rural areas to the cities of Tallinn and Tartu. As Marksoo illustrates, one of the key factors influencing the settlement structure of Estonia since the late 1980s has been the development of private farms and the introduction of land reform legislation. A significant issue to emerge since 1990 has been the environmental influence of half a century of Russian military occupation.
