Counterurbanisation

• What is counterurbanisation?


  The movement of people away from the urban areas completely to a smaller settlement.

  This can be from larger urban areas to smaller ones or into rural areas > leapfrog rural-urban fringe

  'Rural idyll'
• EXAMPLE: Natland, Kendal ~ causes of counterbanisation:

  Push factors from Kendal:

  • Transport
  • Air pollution
  • Congestion
  • Crime
  • Overcrowding

  Pull factors to Natland:

  • Peaceful, quiet
  • Less crime
  • Better air quality
  • Higher QOL > idyll rural life
  • Open space
  • Greater sense of community
  • Lower class sizes > higher achievement
• EXAMPLE: Natland, Kendal ~ impacts of counterbanisation:

  Positive:

  • New estates > replace disused land e.g. barns
  • Affordable homes > St Mark's field
  • Village homes > more events, sports
  • Functions & activities > beer festival, toddler groups
  • High quality builds
  • High property values
  • New businesses

  Negative:

  • Loss of post office > converted to housing
  • New housing development
  • Increase house prices
  • Commuters don't use local services
  • 'Dormitory village' > commuters just sleep there > isolate older residents
  • Increase air pollution/ noise and traffic
• Demographic changes if counterurbanisation & impacts:

  • Older population die > replaced by younger generations > 18-64 year olds
  • Younger generation have children > fill schools > may need to expand
  • More traffic on roads > decrease road quality > increase congestion > decrease air quality > infrastructure > increase noise
  • More housing needed > use green space
  • Disturb rural idyll
• General impacts of counterurbanisation :

  • Social
  • Economic
  • Environmental
  • Cultural
  • Demographic
• Social impacts of counterurbanisation:

  Positive:

  • Local leisure activities e.g. horse riding, farm shops, cafes > find support from more affluent newcomers
  • Supports facilities e.g. pubs
  • Increase school rolls, becomes area of community
  • Improve services
  • New shops and businesses

  Negative:

  • Traditional services and skills lost as locals move out
  • Newcomers own cars > decline in village services
  • Dormitory village (people just sleep there) > loss of community spirit
  • Commuters working long hours > not involved in community
  • Older feel isolated
• Economic impacts of counterurbanisation:

  Positive:

  • Wealthy newcomers > spend money on renovating old buildings > improve quality of housing
  • New businesses providng 'entrepreneurial spirit'
  • Higher property prices > locals sell and make profit
  • New shops e.g. gift shops, cafes

  Negative:

  • Higher house prices > force locals out
  • Shopping done in supermarkets away from village as cheaper and more choice so local bakers, butchers cannot compete with these 'economies of scale' > close
  • Internet shopping decrease demand for village services
• Environmental impacts of counterurbanisation:


  Positive:

  Negative:

  • More cars > more noise, pollution, traffic
  • Building new houses on green space > increases amount of impermeable space > increase flood risk and desrtroys habitats
  • Disturbs rural idyll
• Cultural impacts of counterurbanisation:

  Positive:

  • Function changes from agricultural to a diverse mix of professions and may make for wider cultural mix of people
  • Some new building devleopments replicate traditional style and find balance between need for housing and keeping character of the village > Quasi vernacular ' properties trying to blend in'

  Negative:

  • Newcomers lack appreciation of traditional customs of village life > lack of comunity spirit
  • Disturb quiet nature of the village
  • New housing estates may be built in 'quasi vernacular' style > degrades character of village
• Demographic impacts of counterurbanisation:

  Positive:

  Negative:

  • Increase in population > pressure on services
  • Population structure may be skewed towards 60s
• EXAMPLE: London - Stevenage New Towns Act: 


  Warehouse 500,000 people from the bombed areas of inner London

  • Initial reactions ~ not popular, worried about a lost sense of community and traffic

  Characteristics:

  • Housing to the east, industry to the west
  • 6 neighbourhoods, 10,000 homes each with own community centre, pubs, shops and pedestrian town centre

  Initial problems:

  • Damp houses and muddy
  • Shortage of materials
  • Plagues of ants and earwigs

  History:

  • For 10 years a new school opened every year
  • 1980s complete - population 75,000+