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AbstractBased on a historical overview of spatial networks and mobility, and the development of spatial theory, this review discusses current rural problems in Europe and the need for a new rural policy. The development toward a post‐urban world, that is, a world where the traditional urban–rural dichotomy is dissolving and is replaced by city‐regions and vast, declining peripheries, means a division of rural areas into two types: those becoming integrated into the growing city‐regions and the peripheries, where exploitation of natural resources is a main activity. We claim that a policy that only focuses on rural areas would fail. The reason is that endogenous rural development is simply not possible in current Europe. What is required is better urban–rural development policies oriented towards maximizing the development potential of each region, combining people‐based with place‐based approaches, and empowering local stakeholders to take greater control of their future. Regional science has an important role to play in providing decision‐makers with evidence‐based research that meets the challenges of the post‐urban world.