Rural peripheries are usually framed as regions with severe structural disadvantages in economic, demographic, social and locational terms. While this has been true for many peripheries for decades and seems to deteriorate further in the course of globalisation, there are also dissimilar developments. Some peripheral areas across Europe display signs of an economic renaissance, established innovative models of governance and created new self-esteem. This volume provides an overview of research on seemingly, current and former peripheral areas and on processes of peripheralisation in Europe. Particular emphasis is given to questions of local and regional governance, to multiple actors of peripheralisation and residential revitalisation as well as to economic and ecological transformations.