A bibliometric study about the Rural Creative Class: Proposal of a conceptual framework and future agenda

Abstract

This study aims to carry out scientific and bibliometric mapping of the rural creative class. It analyses 57 articles retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database and resorts to bibliographic coupling using VOSviewer software to identify the main lines of research on this theme, before advancing new topics for future research. The results identify and classify the prevailing theoretical foci in this domain as follows: (i) Florida’s theory and rural areas; and (ii) Urban growth and the creative class. The main contribution of this study lies in showing the need to understand the effective operationalization of Florida’s model in rural areas, as a way to raise their sustained economic growth. In addition, network theory is necessary if used to explain the bridge between rural creativity and the place’s social capital. A conceptual framework is proposed for the development of rural or sparsely populated areas, presenting the challenge of its application by political decision-makers, as well as trend topics for a future agenda.