Analysis of housing in depopulated rural areas: a transnational comparison

Inés Arín

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0922-4847

Spain

Universitat Jaume I image/svg+xml

Inés Arín is Technical Architect and Master in Energy Efficiency and Sustainability. Currently she is developing her pHD at Jaume I University at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Construction, in the Area of Architectural Constructions. Her thesis research focus in the contribution of building to face depopulation in rural areas. She is part of the Research group member Social Innova - Social Innovation and Human Development / IIDL and the Research group member TECASOS - Technology, Quality and Sustainability in Construction.

Maria José Ruá

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5483-4911

Spain

Universitat Jaume I image/svg+xml

María José Ruá is PhD in Agricultural Engineering and Technical Architect. Since 2007, she is Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Construcction at Universitat Jaume I (UJI), in the Degree of Technical Architecture, the Master's Degree in Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, the Master's Degree in International Cooperation and the Master's Degree in Gender Equality. She collaborates in the Master's Degree in Real Estate Sciences, in the Master's Degree in Appraisal and Valuation Engineering and in the University Extension Diploma in Real Estate Studies at the UPV.

He belongs to the research group Technology, Quality and Sustainability in Building (TECASOS) of the UJI. In this group she develops his line of research focused on the energy efficiency of buildings in the context of Integrated Urban Regeneration. He has published in diverse international scientific journals and in different congresses on this topic. She is also part of the group Social Innovation and Human Development/IIDL (Social Innova), working in collaboration with experts in the field of psychology, to address the needs of vulnerable people in the urban environment, with scientific publications and work in these areas. She is part of the Inter-University Institute of Local Development (IIDL) at the UJI.

Prior to her work at the University, she worked in an architecture studio and also for different Valuation Companies, as a freelance professional. From 2004 to 2007, she also worked as an Associate Lecturer at the UPV, combining this work with her professional work.

Submitted: 2025-12-22

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Accepted: 2026-03-13

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Published: 2026-04-30

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4995/vlc.2026.25269

Copyright (c) 2026 VLC arquitectura. Research Journal

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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Location of the case studies. Source: Own creation.

Keywords:

Depopulation, rural community, housing, comparative method, transnational

Supporting agencies:

This research was not funded

Abstract:

Depopulation consists of the decrease in the number of inhabitants of a region, and in Europe, is
concentrated in rural areas. The state-of-the-art reveals that there has been extensive research across multiple
disciplines, but that studies on housing are scarce. However, having a home, although not sufficient, is necessary to inhabit a place. This study analyses housing in depopulated rural communities. A municipality in Spain and
another in Italy were selected, applying the comparative method. A top-down approach was used, creating
systematic data collection sheets. This was complemented by a bottom-up perspective, which is particularly
relevant in these areas, where macro data can obscure local data. Through visual inspection of the dwellings and
semi-structured interviews, detailed and up-to date data and GIS maps are provided, offering new synthetic and
visual information. The transnational analysis reveals similarities in the poor state of conservation of underutilised housing, which requires large investments, and little real estate activity. There are regional differences that affect the type of housing and demand. Finally, the importance of public administrations treating rural areas as
a complement to urban areas in order to maintain territorial balance and equity is highlighted.

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