Urbanisation

Urbanisation, also known as urbanization in American English, refers to the process by which an increasing share of a population comes to live in urban areas and by which urban areas themselves expand in their territorial footprint and economic function. It is driven by rural–urban migration, natural population growth, and economic transformation that shifts employment toward non-agricultural sectors. Urbanisation is often accompanied by changes in housing, infrastructure, services, and governance.

Patterns and measurement: The rate of urbanisation is usually expressed as the percentage of people living in urban areas. It is linked to the growth of cities and metropolitan regions and the emergence of megacities. Historical trends show early urbanisation in Europe and parts of Asia, followed by rapid urban growth in the Global South since the late 20th century. Urbanisation can take forms such as concentration in core cities, expansion into urban peripheries, and the development of peri-urban areas and informal settlements.

Impacts: Urbanisation can raise productivity, innovation, and access to services, but also creates challenges such as housing shortages, slums, traffic congestion, pollution, and pressure on water and energy systems. It affects land use, social inequalities, and resilience to disasters. Effective urbanisation depends on planning, affordable housing, inclusive governance, fiscal capacity, and sustainable transport and energy policies.

Related concepts and variants: Urbanisation interacts with suburbanisation, urban sprawl, and counter-urbanisation. It is measured by urbanisation rate, urban population, and urban agglomeration size. Policy responses include comprehensive land-use planning, regional development, and investments in housing, transport, and basic services to promote sustainable urban growth.