Research Reports
A Study on the Rural Residential Policy and its Strategies in Response to Changes in Rural Settlements
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AuthorSeong, Jooin
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Publication Date2014.12.30
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Original
Background of Research
Rural areas have had problems of depopulation and aging for a long time. As a result, rural villages have many empty and deserted houses, and their overall living environment has deteriorated. This study aims to discover policy tasks among residential changes which have occurred with changes in rural settlement conditions and to present implementation plans. For this, we examined recent changes in rural settlement space, households and population; checked the current state of rural residents’ housing situation and their demand for policies; and suggested major policy tasks based on the data.
Method of Research
We investigated the present condition at the national level through statistical analysis and conducted mail surveys and interviews. Mail surveys were carried out in a random manner nationally to about 1,000 local correspondents (the response rate: 56.8%). We also interviewed four villages (74 households) that could clearly reveal the housing situation of rural areas.
Research Results and Implications
We proposed the following implementation plans for rural residential policies based on the research result. First, policy goals should be established on the basis of the present rural living environment. The priority needs to be improving the current survey method of residential conditions. Particularly, samples and questions should be modified so that they can reflect the reality of rural areas. Second, more customized policies are necessary to enhance the quality of rural housing. It is required to support the amelioration of residents’ old dwellings and to expand the construction of common living facilities for vulnerable residents’ housing welfare. In addition, comprehensive village improvement is needed beyond the amelioration of individual houses. Third, more flexible residential policies should be developed in response to urban people’s demand for settlement in rural communities. Rental houses can be one of the means and should reflect households’ features such as the elderly and city people who return to rural areas. Local governments will lead the policies at an early stage, but the private sector’s voluntary participation should be induced in the mid and long term. Fourth, residential policies need to be considered important in the rural space policy, because changes in residential space and villages reflect population and social changes in rural areas including aging. The status of housing policies should be strengthened in the space policy.
Researchers: Joo-In Seong and Young-Dan Kim
Research Period: 2014. 1.～2014. 10.
E-mail address: jiseong@krei.re.kr
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