Introduction

Abstract

This chapter introduces the rationale and motivation for the book. It highlights the European research project ROBUST (Rural-Urban Outlooks: Unlocking Synergies) within which all the investigation that supports the chapters in this book was conducted. It briefly describes the architecture, the themes and the systemic approach to rural-urban linkages and synergies within the ROBUST project. Finally, the structure of the book is described and a brief summary of each chapter is provided