Cities - Suburbanisation

Suburbanisation- growth of the suburbs and engulfing of surrounding towns and villages

Causes

• Deindustrialisation 
• Decentralisation
• Social problems in the inner city e.g. crime, poor schooling
• Growth in public transport systems and private car usage

Effects

Positives

• Higher quality of public services
• More active community groups
• Higher occupancy rate in shopping parades
• Increase in demand for recreational facilities
• Increasing employment opportunities 

Negatives

• Vacant and derelict building left in the inner city
• Increased land value
• Increase air pollution
• Pressure on green belt
• Increased traffic in outer city

Case study - Surbiton, SW London

Issues

• Population growth from 141k to 160k from 1971 to 2011
• High house prices averaging £700,000
• High congestion with 70% of households owning a car and narrow roads with poor parking facilities
• High public transport costs 

Solutions

• Train stations reclassified from zone 6 to zone 5 to reduce ticket costs
• Bike storage units built to encourage cycling
• Better pedestrian access to encourage walking