Question

Read the following paragraph and answer the following questions:

Counter urbanization is a demographic and social process. Of late urbanization process in India is witnessing counter- urbanization in its life cycle. The counter-urbanization increases urbanism in physically rural areas. The growth in information technology, increase in car ownership over the last 40 years, more mobility, new business parks on the edge of cities, more people tend to move when they retire and so on are factors responsible for counter urbanization.

1. Mention any two causes associated with Counter Urbanization as given to the paragraph.
2. Write two more causes, other than the ones mentioned here, which you think lead people to return to rural areas.
3. What changes will be observed in rural areas as an effect of counter urbanization.

Answer 1

1. Counter urbanization is a demographic and socioeconomic trend in which individuals relocate from urban to rural areas.
   The causes of counter-urbanisation are:
   1. Improvements in rural transport infrastructure and increased automobile ownership have given people more freedom of choice in where they live.
   2. As technology evolved, humans gained greater control over their lives; in many situations, the necessity to travel declined, as did the need to live in or frequent urban areas. The advancement of information and communication technology (e-mail, videoconferencing and broadband) has allowed people to work from home more freely.
2. Some more causes of counter urbanization are:
   
   1. Environmental Conditions: Poor environmental conditions are well recognised to have a negative impact on health in industrial zones and the same is true in areas near mines. The living circumstances have a direct impact on the residents. Everyone aspires to live in a community with better living conditions and a higher standard of living. A city's failure to maintain key infrastructure, the advent of an epidemic or any other crisis affecting a significant number of people are all strong indicators of out-migration.
   2. Economic factors: People relocate to cities in search of better work opportunities and cities are regarded as engines of economic growth. However, a city loses its appeal when it stops providing jobs and prospects for better income. This could be due to persistent business losses, policy changes, industry transformations, etc.
3. The counter-urbanisation effect on rural areas includes the following:
   
   1. As country villages become more suburbanized, they have the potential to grow rapidly and lose their original character and charm.
   2. Because the new residents own cars, demand for public transport will decrease. This can be a serious issue for village residents who lack their own transport, particularly the elderly.
   3. Traffic congestion will worsen as a substantial proportion of migrants commute to work.
   4. New residences will be erected on green fields, resulting in the removal of tress.