What's the future for rural communities in the context of changing demographic, environmental and land use pressures, including housing, planning and transport?

This programme is developing understanding of what ‘sustainable’ means for rural communities and investigating the threats and opportunities facing rural England.

We're actively engaging with the search for ways to provide affordable housing, building on the work of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission and working with others to develop a rural housing action plan.

Working with leaders in the rural transport field to extend thinking on public and private transport in rural areas, we're also learning from international experience and best practice.

Rural communities can adapt to make a positive contribution to climate change. We're investigating the effects of land use change on the farming and wider rural communities.