what is urban

Urban refers to human settlements with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations, or suburbs. The term "urban area" contrasts with rural areas such as villages and hamlets. An urban area includes the city itself, as well as the surrounding areas. The Bureau of the Census defines urban as comprising all territory, population, and housing units located in urbanized areas and in places of 2,500 or more inhabitants outside of UAs. The term "urban" can refer to towns, cities, and suburbs. Urban areas are at the leading edge of racial and ethnic change, with nonwhites now a clear majority of the population in urban counties. Certain problems are felt more deeply in some types of communities than in others. For example, rural adults are more likely than their urban and suburban counterparts to say access to public transportation and to high-speed internet are major problems.