In recent years, the concept of 'sparsity' has gained significant attention in regional development discussions. Sparsity refers to areas that fall below a critical population mass necessary to sustain diverse regional labour markets and provide sufficient demand for public and private services. This critical mass is essential for generating local labour markets, maintaining public infrastructures such as schools and hospitals, and supporting private services like shops and leisure facilities. Areas with low population potential face challenges in service provision and economic activities, while regions with high population potential attract businesses and foster economic and social interactions.

This publication focuses on sparsely populated areas (SPA) and their implications for regional development. It highlights the importance of population potential, calculated based on the number of people reachable within a 45-minute car journey, as a key indicator of regional development. The report discusses how areas with low population potential face challenges in sustaining regional labour markets and providing public and private services, leading to negative consequences for the service sector and labour market.

The study builds on previous works, such as the ESPON BRIDGES project, and extends the analysis by adding data from 2021. It examines the changes in population potential over time, the impact of road infrastructure improvements, and identifies areas at risk of becoming sparsely populated in the future. The report also provides policy recommendations for planners and policymakers to address the challenges faced by these regions and to exploit the detailed results for designing effective regional policies and measures.