Rural–Urban Linkages and Development: A GIS-MCDAApproach to Sustainable Cyclo-Tourism and RuralLand Protection

Over the past 60 years, changes in the European agricultural sector have driven migration flows from rural to urban areas,resulting in land abandonment and soil degradation. Rural, nature-based tourism and outdoor recreation can help reverse neg-ative trends, with growing academic interest in cycle tourism for its economic and social development potential. Cycle tourismsignificantly contributes to climate change mitigation thanks to its minimal environmental footprint and alignment with sus-tainable travel practices, especially when destinations are well-connected and accessible without depending on private car travelor extended road trips. Despite growing interest in the economic aspects of cycle tourism, its role in sustainable planning andrural land protection remains underexplored. This study addresses a research gap by developing an innovative approach that in-tegratesGIS and MCDA to identify optimal areas for rural cycle tourism development in the Veneto region of Northeastern Italy.The methodology combines ecological, cultural, and infrastructural elements through QGIS-based mapping, heatmap analysis,and MCDA to assess regional suitability for cycling tourism. This integrated approach serves as a strategic tool to simultaneouslysupport rural economic revitalization and landscape conservation in historic rural areas at risk of abandonment. The findingsreveal previously unidentified areas suitable for inclusion in cycling itineraries, demonstrating how sustainable tourism can con-tribute to rural regeneration while preserving cultural landscapes. This research proposes using cycling tourism to boost ruraleconomies, promote sustainable land use, prevent environmental degradation, and enhance landscape resilience through betterinfrastructure planning