Rural-Urban Fringe
- Also called the urban fringe, it is where green, open spaces meet the built-up areas of towns and cities
- Growth at the urban fringe is due in part to counter-urbanisation, population growth, lack of space and spiralling land costs
- These can be divided into push (negative factors causing people/businesses to leave central urban areas) and pull factors (positive factors pulling people/businesses to the rural-urban fringe)
Push and Pull Factors - The Urban Fringe
Push | Pull |
Housing is old, congested and relatively expensive | Land is cheaper so houses are larger and have gardens |
There are various forms of environmental pollution – air quality is poor, and noise levels are high | Factories can be more spacious and have plenty of room for workers to park their cars |
Companies find that there is a shortage of land for expansion or building shops, offices and factories | Closeness to main roads and motorways allows for quicker and easier customer contacts |
Brownfield sites are expensive to build on due to the added costs of cleaning the land (especially if contaminated with asbestos) prior to building; plus there may be restrictions on what can be built | Closeness to main roads and motorways allows for quicker and easier commutes for car drivers and access for lorries |
Access for heavy goods vehicles is limited or difficult, adding to congestion and air pollution |
Changing working patterns thanks to technology, e.g. flexible working, working from home, etc. |
Changes along the urban fringe
- Some of the biggest changes in the urban landscape can be seen in the rural-urban fringe
- Growth at the urban fringe is due in part to counter-urbanisation, population growth, lack of space and spiralling land costs
- Other than new housing estates, there are also:
- Retail parks - large sphere of influence due to being easily accessible, ample free parking, the concentration of businesses in one place, longer opening hours, large choice of goods
- Industrial estates - space for expansion, purpose-built road networks, cheaper land, sited away from housing
- Business parks - space is created for a nicer working environment, easier access and commute for workers, the area is specifically created for office space and includes a conference hotel
- Science parks - purpose-built to encourage research and development (R&D), high-tech industries and other quaternary activities, close to a university and transport networks (including airports) to allow for knowledge transfer
- Airports - increase in air traffic and low-cost carriers, but also airports feed into businesses on the fringe through imports and exports but also knowledge with speakers and investors having easy access to businesses
- Motorways and ring roads - feed into ease of access for residents, workers, lorries, buses, cars etc.