urbanization
er-ban-ih-ZAY-shun
/ˌɝː.bən.əˈzeɪ.ʃən/
The process of making an area more urban, featuring population movement from rural to urban areas.
Describes both demographic movement and physical city expansion.
The story behind the word. Built on Latin urbs (city). Modern sociologists coined urbanization in the late 19th century as industrial hubs drew millions away from rural agrarian estates.
Word relationships
- urban growth: Urban growth is a simpler phrase, while urbanization denotes the systemic social process.
- ruralization: Ruralization is the migration from cities back into agricultural rural areas.
Commonly confused with
- suburbanization: Suburbanization refers to movement from city centers into surrounding residential outskirts.
Word family
- urbanize (verb): To make or become urban.
- urban (adjective): Relating to a town or city.
Collocations
- rapid urbanization
- trend toward urbanization
- uncontrolled urbanization
Example sentences
- "Rapid urbanization transformed sleepy villages into dense manufacturing megacities within two decades." Demographic Studies
- "Unplanned urbanization places severe strain on regional water supplies and waste management." Environmental Impact
Memory hook
URB-anization: URBs (cities) getting BIGGER as country folks move IN. The flight to the city.
When not to use
Do not use to describe simple population growth if people remain in agricultural countrysides.
Fun facts
- In 1800, only 3% of humanity lived in cities; today, due to urbanization, over 55% do.
Related words
Explore more words
sprawl, densification, conurbation, revitalization, outskirts, gentrification
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