Urban trends in advanced countries and cities
The trends in cities in advanced country (AC)A country that has well-developed financial markets, rapidly growing service sectors and diverse economic structures. are less clear and vary more from place to place. There are three recent trends that can be identified.
Suburbanisation
This is where the suburbs on the outer edge of the settlement grow outwards as new houses and services are built to accommodate more people. This type of expansion sees the settlement grow at the expense of surrounding green land.
An example of suburbanisation can be found in Los Angeles, USA.
Counterurbanisation
This is when people move from an urban area to a more rural area. push factorA factor that encourages people to leave the place in which they live and to move elsewhere. and pull factorA factor which attracts people to move to a new place. factors still apply. People wish to escape from urban problems such as pollution, congestion, poor housing and high crime rates.
An example of counterurbanisation can be found in London.
Reurbanisation
This is when people move back into inner city areas where populations had previously declined due to a range of social, economic and environmental issues. These areas are improved or gentrified by public and private funding and then attract both young and older people who enjoy the benefits of being near the city centre.
An example of reurbanisation can be found in Salford Quays, Manchester.