ABSTRACT
The recent Europe-wide territorial cohesion’s consultations renewed attention towards
urban-rural relationships as a policy option. The aim of the article is to explore the
concept of urban-rural interactions and provide insight to policies and practises with rel-
evance to urban-rural linkages based on the example of Latvia. The article is based on a
review of literature and relevant policy documents, and on the statements of the inter-
viewed Latvian planners and experts at national level institutions and local municipalities.
The understanding of urban-rural relations depends upon the context of how urban/rural
places, and their population and activities are framed and regulated in each society and
policy regime. The development of Latvia’s urban-rural interactions is influenced by
the country’s turbulent history and long dependency periods. After the re-establishing
of the independence in 1991, the development of Latvian national spatial and regional
policy had been influenced by the European and the Baltic Sea Region spatial policy
