Urbanization is the process of population shift from rural to urban areas, which results in a corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas. It is a global phenomenon that has been closely linked to globalization, modernization, industrialization, and the sociological process of rationalization. Urbanization can be seen as a specific condition at a set time, and it is relevant to a range of disciplines, including urban planning, geography, sociology, architecture, economics, education, statistics, and public health.
Urbanization is often responsible for the myriad of modern problems facing humanity. Although the terms urbanization and urban growth are sometimes used interchangeably, they should be distinguished from each other. Urbanization refers to the proportion of the total national population living in areas classified as urban, whereas urban growth strictly refers to the absolute number of people living in those areas.
Urbanization has a significant ecological footprint, and even small amounts of urban development can have large effects on stream ecosystems. Urbanization is a complex process, and there are many recognized benefits of urban settings when developed sustainably.
