The term homesteading has historically meant the granting of land to individuals provided they made improvements on the property. This was widely used in Western United States and Australia in the 19th century to settle the vast frontier. Currently this concept is being applied to rural areas facing abandonment usually in the form of tax incentives, subsidies, and loan programs. Homestead rules could be used to stabilize areas that are endanger of losing population and provide economic stabilization to regions. But this term is not so common, especially in Europe. Is there a modern term for this concept?
Hello David- The words "homesteading" and "homestead" are still current in US legal and policy proclamations, both in regard to rural and urban contexts. In both cases, the words are applied in situations where a vulnerable town, city or region is in need of population stabilization following out migration or financial collapse. People are enticed to re enter the territory through favorable terms of ownership, with the understanding that they have specific responsibilities as well (improvement, length of tenure, etc.).
Understanding that this term may not be widely understood in Europe, I would suggest that you use the concept of stabilization, which is used by the European Commission in various contexts, to describe homesteading. I realize this is employing the goal in place of the means, but absent a term for the practice, this is the best I can do.
Good luck!
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