What urban phenomenon describes the expansion of cities into surrounding rural areas?

The phenomenon that denotes the expansion of cities into surrounding rural areas is referred to as urban sprawl. This concept encompasses the uncontrolled and often unplanned spread of urban development into areas that were previously rural. It typically results in low-density developments and can lead to various challenges such as increased traffic congestion, loss of agricultural land, and the degradation of natural landscapes.

Urban sprawl is characterized by the outward growth of the city, where residential areas, commercial developments, and infrastructure extend further away from the urban core. This pattern of development often arises from various factors, including population growth, economic conditions, and the desire for larger living spaces, which leads to a more dispersed and spread-out pattern of settlement.

Suburbanization refers to the process of population movement from within cities to the suburbs, which might contribute to urban sprawl but is more specifically focused on the population shift rather than the expansive growth itself. Metropolitan growth encompasses a wider view of the overall development within metropolitan areas, including both urban and suburban regions. Urban agglomeration describes the concentration of multiple cities and towns into a larger, interconnected urban area, rather than the specific outward expansion of a single city into rural regions.