Aurélio Labat

Aurélio Labat is an Associate Member of the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Solidarity, Societies, Territories (LISST) at the University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurès, where he contributes to the Rural Dynamics research team. His work bridges multiple institutions including the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Institut National Universitaire Champollion (INUC), reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of his research in rural studies and territorial development.

Dr. Labat's research focuses on the complex relationships between tourism development and quality of life in small rural towns, with particular attention to Martel in the Lot department. He critically examines contemporary paradigms of inter-territorial cooperation through the lens of the center-periphery model, challenging dominant network-based approaches to territorial planning. His work investigates how small towns navigate the tensions between maintaining resident quality of life while capitalizing on tourism opportunities, and how rural territories organize essential services through small towns and mutualized structures.

His recent publications (2021-2024) demonstrate consistent engagement with themes of rural territorial dynamics, service provision in declining areas, and the spatial inequalities inherent in contemporary territorial governance. Notably, his work shows how local mobilizations for public services can paradoxically reinforce socio-spatial inequalities despite intentions to strengthen territorial solidarity.

Dr. Labat completed his PhD in 2021 at the University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurès with a thesis examining inter-territorial relations through the center-periphery model, focusing on inter-municipalities in the Occitanie region. As a 'young doctor' researcher, he represents the new generation of scholars critically engaging with territorial development paradigms in rural France.