1. How does this BBC TV series link to today’s lesson
How does this BBC TV series link to today’s lesson? What do you think today’s key word is?

2. Counter urbanisation: Escape to the country?
Lesson Objective:
To know and understand why people move away from the city.

3. Link to specification
Counter urbanisation: characteristics, causes and effects

4. Key Term – counter urbanisation
The process that leads to people moving away from cities, which in net terms may lead to a decrease in a city’s population.

6. Why do people move from cities?
Push factors (away from urban areas) 1 2 3
Pull factors (to rural areas)
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8. Counter-urbanisation worksheet
Read each of the statements in the box
Shade the box either;
Green for Causes of Counter-urbanisation
Blue for consequences of Counter-urbanisation
Yellow for examples of Counter-Urbanisation
Red for information not relevant to Counter-urbanisation
BONUS: Use the spare boxes to add 3 pieces of your own information on the causes or example of counter-urbanisation

9. Would you move? Why?

10. Would they move? Why?

11. Would they move? Why?

12. Causes of counter-urbanisation
Push Factors (reasons for the movement away from cities) - higher rates of congestion and pollution - high land values making it harder for people to find affordable housing - higher crime rates Pull Factors (reasons for movements to the countryside) - perceived better quality of life - believed to be a safer and more pleasant environment for children to grow up in - less pollution and more open space - lower land-values and more affordable housing - more businesses locating on greenfield sites to make the most of room for expansion and the more pleasant environment

13. Plenary - Exam style question
Outline the process of counter urbanisation and explain it’s causes (8 marks)

14. I do not fully agree with the above statement
I do not fully agree with the above statement. As the world develops, we do become more urbanised. 10% lived in cities in 1900 but 50% lived in cities by Sao Paulo is a good example of where urbanisation has increased with development. As industry has took a hold in the city centre, thousands flocked to the city in search of prosperity, causing former greenfield sites in the suburbs to become inhabited with favelas. It is the likelihood that a country becomes most urbanised as it switches to a service-based economy.  However, if you look at a country that is further up the development continuum, such as the United Kingdom, you can see that people also move away from urbanisation. Counter urbanisation is a common occurrence in MEDCS. As a country develops there are technological advances which allows people to work from home, or the infrastructure has improved enough for them to be able to commute. People therefore are able to move out of cities in to more rural areas. Increased development normally means an increased GDP, which allows people the resources to make this change. Development also increases the push factors from the city, such as pollution levels and congestion. Therefore, it is not strictly true that rates of urbanisation increase.
READ THE ABOVE RESPONSE. I WANT YOU TO WRITE 4 SENTENCES – POINT, EVIDENCE, EXPLANATION, SYNOPTIC LINK TO OTHER ASPECTS OF GEOGRAPHY.

15. Outline the process of counter urbanisation and explain it’s effects
Counter-urbanisation is the process of migration of people from major urban areas to smaller urban settlements and rural areas. The process began in Britain in the 1960s, and then by the 1990s a net movement of 1,700 people were leaving for rural areas for a wide variety of reasons.
 The initial movement can be seen as a negative reaction to city life, particularly the nature of the built environment with high levels of pollution and population density. The improvement of technology and access to new developments led not only to an increase in car ownership, allowing people to commute to work from such areas, but also with the internet allowing greater freedom of location. A general rise in affluence can also be seen to be the cause, explaining the rising demand for second homes as well as early retirement into rural areas, as well as making commuting economically viable for many. Finally there has been a general perceived decline in many rural areas, leading to their need to attract income, often done by raising money through the sale of unwanted land and buildings to these more affluent movers. 
The process of counter-urbanisation has multiple effects on an areas environment. This often includes an increase in use of a commuter railway station in the area, often with the rise in demand leading to expansion or improvement of railway services as well as development of car parking for commuters. Housing also experiences significant change, seeing the construction of more executive housing in the area, often on newly designated building land, following the demolition of old properties, as well as seeing a rise in the number of conversions of former farm buildings to exclusive residencies, leading to an increased value overall of houses in the area.  
The process of counter-urbanisation also contributes to social and demographic change in rural settlements, sometimes referred to as the 'rural turnaround'. This involves a significant change in the type of people living in the area, for example the outmigration of young village-born adults seeking education and employment opportunities elsewhere is common. This is countered, however, by a change in in-migration, with young to middle- aged married couples or families with young children often moving into such areas. Along with this, a more general inwards movement of younger, more affluent people is seen, which contributes to the increased house prices in suburbanised villages.