The Reasons For Leaving
(Urban Migration- Part 2 of 4)
Why are people leaving rural areas for the cities? And leaving them in droves. Historically, people tended to stay local and within their communities. They learned the trades of their ancestors and continued on to do what their families have done in terms of careers, mostly in the same communities. As times change, modern conveniences made it much easier for us to move almost anywhere we want to move, as long as we decide that we would like to live there. Because of this, it also means if a place is not an attractive enough place to live, people would simply move away, and this option is easier to carry out than ever before. In consequence, we can look at the urban migration this way- the fact that people are increasingly leaving the rural areas to live in the cities indicate that rural areas are increasingly less attractive of a place to live when compared to cities to most people. How come? Although we know the trend is happening, the specific causality still needs to be further studied. Despite this, a number of factors are widely discussed and stand out from others. We will explore some of them in this post.
Rural communities offer many attractive benefits including a community that is familiar and tight-knit. Deep interpersonal bonds often form because of the small number of people in a rural community. Properties are more affordable. If you love nature, rural communities are often nestled in the natural beauty that is hard to come by in cities. Other additional benefits include the lack of traffic, less pollution, a more relaxed atmosphere, and more space for animals and a garden.
But as you can already guess, living in the middle of nowhere has its disadvantages. With advances in large commercial farms and mechanized farming techniques, fewer people are required to run the farms, contributing to the loss of job opportunities for one of the largest economies in rural areas. Fewer people usually mean fewer activities and translates into fewer opportunities. This means fewer opportunities in all societal functions, such as academics, recreation, and job opportunities. A lack of general services can be an issue as well, such as auto-shops, grocery stores, and the pharmacy. It could be difficult to get items for everyday needs because of the remote location and whatever is available could be expensive due to lack of competition. Varieties for an item would be a luxury. Public services such as post offices, hospitals, and schools can be a scarcity and far away. Public goods such as the roadways may not always be maintained. And the list of inconveniences and lack of services could go on.
Cities have their own pros and cons. Positives range from easy access to daily necessities, public services, and entertainment. Negatives include sky-high living expenses, pollution, and constant traffic. One of the most compelling selling points of a city is its ability to provide an abundance of resources at easy reach. From more financial opportunities to easier access to everyday necessities and more, cities provide the building blocks necessary for the quality of life for many.
Modern economies are creating an increasingly concentrated pool of wealth in urban areas. This concentration of wealth for specialized jobs creates additional financial opportunities for services that are required to support this system of wealth. All the opportunities create a pull effect and attract more people to move in and take the available jobs, earn money, and enjoy additional goods and services. Social networks in a city is more efficient with more people involved which also helps with productivity and opportunity generation.
The newest technologies are more likely to be available in cities as well, making lives more comfortable. Internet, phone connection, and other social avenues are often better maintained and more widely available, enhancing business and social interactions. There are many other factors for moving to the cities such as lifestyle and attitudes but those are more subjective on an individual basis.
It is clear that both rural areas and cities have their own benefits and drawbacks, but one thing is easy to see by looking at the migration trend: most people consider the benefits offered by a city to outweigh the benefits of living in a rural area.
This concludes our blog post for this Sunday. Remember to tune in for our Urban Migration introductory podcast below. We will discuss the impacts of urban migration and larger cities next week on Sunday, 8/18 and our next podcast and blog release will be on the Sunday following, 8/25.
Thank you for tuning in and until next Sunday!
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