The process of population movement from urban areas to suburban areas, often leading to changes in land use, is called?

• A. Suburbanization
• B. Urbanization
• C. Rural-urban migration
• D. Gentrification

Answer: (A)

Suburbanization describes the movement of people from urban centers to surrounding suburban areas, and the land-use changes that come with it. As people relocate outward, cities expand their outskirts with more residential subdivisions, shopping centers, schools, and roads, often leading to less undeveloped or agricultural land near the urban core. This outward shift and the accompanying changes in how land is used specifically capture the idea of moving from urban to suburban areas.

Urbanization focuses on growth and expansion within cities themselves, not people leaving the city. Rural-urban migration refers to people moving from rural areas into urban centers, the opposite direction. Gentrification describes wealthier residents renovating and changing inner-city neighborhoods, typically within the urban area, not a broad outward migration to the suburbs.