Bridging the rural divide - taking interactive technology into the countryside

Though the Internet seems to permeate every aspect of our life, it is still largely an urban phenomenon. Both in terms of access to digital services and the development of rural digital mapping on services like Google maps, the focus has so far been on urban environments. A new collaborative research project between The University of Nottingham's Schools of Computer Science and Geography, and the Swansea University Computer Science Department will research these through a £365,000 Research Councils UK Digital Economy programme grant, towards a joint project worth more than £935,000. The two-year project seeks to bridge the rural divide through the development of innovative mapping services, which will enhance a broad range of activities that sustain the rural economy — from walking and cycling to windsurfing and bird watching. 'Bridging the Rural Divide' will develop community-based maps that enhance our engagement with the countryside. These will be coupled with new data services to both input and access digital content in the field. The team will develop these services 'in the wild', in order to provide a blueprint for the future provision of services, that will meet the needs of users in rural settings.