Population Distribution: Rural, Rururban, Suburban & Urban Areas
Population Distribution: Rural, Rururban, Suburban & Urban
The distribution of population across a territory significantly shapes its characteristics. Population density, calculated by dividing the number of inhabitants by the area (usually square kilometers), is a key indicator of population distribution.
Urban vs. Rural Population: Blurring Boundaries
Population growth, economic development, and social modernization have led to settlement patterns that don’t neatly fit into traditional urban or rural categories. Rural areas are increasingly influenced by urban or industrial development, blurring the lines between them.
One approach to defining the boundary between rural and urban areas is based on population size. Generally, areas with over 10,000 inhabitants are considered urban. Some countries, like Switzerland, use a threshold of 2,000 inhabitants. A concentrated rural population lives primarily in a single core. A dispersed rural settlement is characterized by people living in isolated homes or small towns scattered across the terrain.
Rururban spaces are areas primarily devoted to rural uses but influenced by industrial areas and infrastructure (e.g., agricultural warehouses, highways, photovoltaic fields).
The core of a city is considered an urban area, characterized by a high concentration of population and activities in the tertiary and industrial sectors. Areas outside the city core but not fully integrated functionally are called suburban or peri-urban areas.
In peri-urban areas, residential zones or large housing complexes are common, often dominating the landscape.
Peri-urban areas are also characterized by concentrated services used by urban residents.
Settlement Types in Catalonia
Catalonia exhibits diverse settlement patterns:
- Rural townships: Often concentrated, particularly in the Pyrenees and western/northern regions.
- Dispersed rural townships: Prevalent in northeastern Catalonia, north of the Llobregat River.
- Large population centers: Concentrated in the “New Catalonia” region, such as the city of Lleida.
- Urban areas: Relatively recent development, closely linked to economic changes.
- Rururban areas: Where the boundaries between urban and rural are blurred.
- Large metropolitan area: Located on the central coast, with approximately 200,000 inhabitants.
80% of the Catalan population lives in cities with over 10,000 inhabitants, 15% in cities between 2,000 and 10,000 inhabitants, and only 5% in rural villages with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, indicating a significant imbalance between different areas.