Evaluation of the adoption and application of the Rural and Urban Definition

The project evaluated the acceptance, adoption, application and impact of the Rural and Urban Definition by central, regional and local government departments and agencies, with a view to understanding whether it had succeeded in increasing the extent to which rural-urban and within-rural differences are analysed, understood and communicated.

A survey of statisticians, researchers, analysts and policy makers within central, regional and local government departments and agencies was undertaken together with a review of documentation published by these departments and agencies.

The evaluation found that the Rural and Urban Definition appears to be serving its purpose amongst those using it and together with Defra's Local Authority Classification fulfils the need for a consistent, robust and accepted methodology by which rurality may be classified and analysed.