The more national and European policies focus on metropolitan regions, the more the question arises what will be the outlook for rural and mountain areas. Several strategies addressing development in rural and mountain areas in Switzerland, created at different policy levels (cantonal, national, and European/macroregional), were published in 2014 and 2015. What are the reasons for these parallel efforts, and what are their aims and opportunities? And how are mountains defined in relation to other areas? The Swiss Interacademic Commission for Alpine Studies aims to take up relevant scientific questions that emerge from these strategies.