Counter urbanisation

Counter urbanisation: Key Ideas

• Began in 1960s and 1980s
• This does not lead to suburban growth but to the growth in the rural areas beyond the city boundaries
• The movement of people also leads to the movement of employment, businesses and jobs
• This is all linked to the growth in car ownership, motorway development and recent changes in communications technology and ICT
• Mainly occurs in developed countries
• Define: The movement of people from large urban areas into smaller urban areas or rural areas, thereby leapfrogging the rural urban fringe and the greenbelt.
• It marks the reversal of urbanisation in the developed cities.
• it is also a demographic and social process by which people move from urban areas to rural areas.
• Less people are working in secondary industries( industry that converts the raw materials provided by primary industry into commodities and products for the consume) : deindustrialisation
• Counter-urbanisation can occur more easily if the business is online and can sell products online compared with a primary industry which wouldn't easily be able to move because it relies on communication, nearby experts in the industry and a large workforce.
• Conflict is not uncommon in the counter-urbanisation as there will be friction between the existing population and the new population as they change the area to suit themselves: increase businesses in the area.

Causes of Counter-Urbanisation: Push

• Economic
• Social
• Environmental
• Push Factor (reasons for moving away from the city/suburbs)
• 1. Expensive living costs in city and increasingly suburbs.
• 2. High property and land values in the city making it hard to find affordable housing or get on the property ladder.
• 3. Suburbs increasingly expensive and overcrowded
• 3. High cost of transport within the urban area (including congestion charge)
• 1. Overcrowding (rush-hours)
• 2. Higher crime rate
• 3. Lack of community spirit.
• 4. Changes in family structures
• 1. Pollution, especially children’s health risk
• 2. Little greenery
• 3. Higher vandalism
• 4. Eye-sore

Counter-Urbanisation: Pull

• Economic
• 1. Lower cost of living
• 2. Accessibility with increases in car ownership and improvements in road access (M ways)
• 3. Ability to work at home (internet)
• 4. Retirement migration
• 5. Access to Out-of-town shopping.
• 6. Lower house prices and land values with some new housing available on greenfield site developments.
• 7. Increasing numbers of employment opportunities in the new greenfield business parks.
• 8.Incresing demand for second homes
• Social
• 1. Community spirit and perceived better quality of life
• 2. More space and larger detected housing (quieter, safer and better for children)
• 3. More leisure facilities with access to countryside activities
• 4. Perceived better education opportunities
• Environmental
• 1. Better views/green area
• 2. Cleaner air
• 3. Quieter (for retirement)

Demographic changes

• Who is coming?
• Retired people who no longer need to travel to work every day and are able to relocate (not necessarily
• downsize if prices are lower) into a ‘nice’ environment.
• Long distance commuters who can afford the high commuting costs and are prepared for long journeys to work
• in order to gain the benefits of rural living.
• People working for firms that have relocated into rural areas
• People who are able to work from home using modern communications and ICT.

Management Strategies

• Management strategies have been put in place to try and remove the negative impacts of counter-urbanisation but the local and national government:
• Build affordable housing in the village for original villages so that can still live in their local village with their children.
• Insisting the houses are built in the same style as the original houses to keep the character of the village.
• Redesigning the roads in the village to get everyone safely in and out of the village and onto the nearest A road. Also putting in 20mph speed limits near the schools.
• Subsidise public transport so the elderly into and out the town.
• Improve local infrastructure such as increasing wifi connection, sewage systems and electrical power to be able to deal with all the new people and keep everyone happy.
• Encourage mobile services so they don't have to be built in the rural area and people don't have to commute i.e. mobile hairdressers and mobile libraries.
• Improved provision of primary schools but not high schools or middle school as children can get public transport to them.
• Increase the amount of community buildings to increase community cohesion and increase the number of community led activities.
• Limit the number of people buying houses to be second homes.