Urban Change in the UK

The United Kingdom was the first country to industrialise and the first to urbanise. By 1851, more than half of Britain's population lived in towns and cities — a milestone not reached globally until 2007. Today, approximately 83% of the UK population is classified as urban. But urbanisation is not a one-directional process. Since the mid-twentieth century, British cities have experienced complex patterns of suburbanisation, counter-urbanisation, re-urbanisation, and gentrification that have reshaped the urban landscape.

Key Definition: The urban-rural continuum describes the spectrum of settlement types from the most densely populated inner city through suburbs, urban fringe, commuter villages, and remote rural areas. In practice, the boundary between "urban" and "rural" is increasingly blurred.

---

Suburbanisation

Suburbanisation is the outward spread of the built-up area, often at lower densities than the original city. It was the dominant process in UK urban change from the 1920s to the 1970s.

Causes of Suburbanisation