The phenomenon of place attachment as a community resilience determinant requires a detailed study and, as such, is not sufficiently explored in the literature. This study analyses both resilience determinants and resilience tools in order to provide local communities with optimum courses of action and decision makers with postulates concerning local development policies. Our goal is to determine the effect of place attachment on the activity of the local community in the process of the reconstruction of a local territorial unit following a crisis (COVID-19 pandemic) situation, as well as determine the symptoms of the crisis exemplified by urban–rural communes in Poland. Empirical research was carried out with regard to all 87 urban–rural communes in Poland with their seat in a small city with district rights. The respondents in the survey included individuals in governance positions: mayor/deputy mayor/secretary. Comparative analyses were performed on the entire group by juxtaposing communes located in peripheral regions (19 units) of the Eastern Poland Macroregion and the remaining communes (68). In light of the empirical research, communes located in Eastern Poland’s peripheral regions were more severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis than ones situated elsewhere in Poland. In urban–rural communes located in peripheral regions, actions supporting the “ability to absorb” shocks are taken more frequently than those promoting “positive adaptability in anticipation of, or in response to, shocks”. Less frequent were proactive measures of innovative nature, involving “restoration and use” of the existing local resources, e.g., new methods of the use of natural resources by the households or new activities in the creative industry based on individual creativity, skills and talents. An analysis of all units reveals a generally low level of pro-resilience activities of the local communities in the communes investigated in the study except for the application of modern technologies/forms of remote communication. It was demonstrated that, in local communities with a high level of place attachment, activities aimed at building resilience are more frequent. For local governments, the results constitute proof of the importance of place attachment in building community resilience in local development policies. We should highlight the need for activities integrating urban and rural residents in urban–rural communes in order to create a shared space with which they could identify while strengthening bonds, thus raising the level of social capital. It is also necessary to look for ways to use IT, not only for communication processes, but also for managing crisis situations, in parallel with activities aimed at strengthening social capital.

The purpose of the paper is to characterize the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic for farms and resilience activities performed by farmers in response to the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of building rural area resilience. Research was carried out in all 87 urban–rural communes in Poland and focused on special determinants of rural resilience such as connections between small cities and rural areas, as well as the location of the territorial unit (peripheral versus non-peripheral). The purpose of the survey was to poll local government representatives on the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic for farms and identify resilience activities performed by farmers in response to the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Empirical research was performed from September to October 2021. The results emphasize the significance of the diversification of farms and networks for strategies for coping with the COVID-19 crisis. The research revealed processes wherein farms adapted, even if to a small extent, to crisis conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges, at the same time stimulating innovative responses in communities and businesses in rural areas. This study also confirms the role of ITC solutions in the process of adaptation to the crisis and implies a need to strengthen local links between the rural area and the city, especially those relevant to peripheral areas. Local government authorities play a crucial role in this process.

This study offers a comprehensive bibliometric and scientific mapping review of the literature examining renewable energy as a strategic mechanism for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Drawing on a structured bibliometric review approach and advanced bibliometric methods, the analysis covers 278 peer-reviewed articles indexed in the Web of Science database. This study explores how research on the SDG–renewable energy nexus has evolved over time, highlighting publication trends, geographical patterns, influential journals and authors, and the intellectual structure of the field, with particular attention to developments observed after 2022. The results show a rapidly growing and increasingly interdisciplinary body of research in which renewable energy systems are consistently framed as core elements of sustainable development strategies, energy transition pathways, and policy-relevant frameworks. Beyond descriptive mapping, the study provides a mechanism-oriented interpretation of thematic clusters, explicitly linking renewable energy research trajectories to specific SDGs and their systemic interactions. By identifying dominant research themes, emerging directions, and existing research gaps, this review provides strategic insights that can support future academic research and inform policymakers and energy stakeholders involved in steering the transition toward sustainable energy systems.