ABSTRACT
Many rural areas in the interior of Spain remain remote regions that are deeply disconnected from public transport networks. These regions, with population densities of fewer than 25 inhabitants per square kilometer, undergo intense depopulation and economic decline and are demographically considered to be semi-deserted. In addition, these territories have an aging population, scattered settlements, a lack of local services, as well as accessibility problems, which pose fundamental challenges for their future. The daily lives of the inhabitants of these regions revolve almost exclusively around private automobile use. This chapter addresses the mobility of the rural population in remote areas based on the findings of fieldwork conducted in 11 of these inland, depopulated, and mountainous regions. Data were collected through in-depth interviews (n = 75) with a selected group of informants, social agents, and the local population. Our analysis pays special attention to mobility in relation to access to welfare resources by the most vulnerable groups: the elderly, dependent people, and immigrants. The results show the crucial role played by mobility for rural sustainability and territorial cohesion, as well as the need to consider the risks and opportunities derived from the transition to older societies and new paradigms of accessibility.
