18 January 2021 

Spanish platform connects urbanites with villages to work remotely from

As the pandemic has prompted people to consider moving away from cities, a Spanish creative collective created a platform to connect those urbanites with small towns and villages around the country.

Over the past 50 years, Spain's rural regions have lost 28% of their population, and there's a real danger of towns and villages dying out. When populations thin out as drastically as they have in some parts of Spain, remaining residents face limited access to services and infrastructure. Meanwhile, for many employers and employees, 2020 demonstrated that remote working can be both possible and productive. Since expensive urban dwellings are often too cramped for working from home, interest in leaving for suburban and rural areas is growing.

Which is where Vente a vivir a un pueblo comes in. The platform, which was launched in Q4 2020, features 42 rural towns and villages that offer cheaper housing and a slower pace of life than cities, and are eager to welcome new residents. Users can filter pueblos by the type of internet connection they offer, population, available healthcare, distance from a city, etc. Each village or town is presented in a video, too, highlighting its surroundings, facilities, employment opportunities and housing prices.

Spain is hardly the only country facing dwindling rural populations after decades of economic migration from the countryside to cities. How could you play matchmaker for vijiji, falvak and Dörfer in your country?

(Related: Hyperlocal food connects farmers and residents in Vancouver agrihood.)