Suburbanisation, Mobility and the ‘Good Life in the Country’: A Lifestyle Approach to the Sociology of Urban Sprawl in Germany

Abstract

Abstract It seems to be almost a law of nature that cities are expanding into their hinterlands and that networks of low density settlements are forming along transport routes. What is driving this process? Who is settling in the urban sprawl, and why? These questions are explored in the following article. In the suburbanised region to the north of Frankfurt am Main in Germany, a total of 1359 households in 67 locations were investigated with respect to their lifestyles and mobility habits. The results show that the spread of urban sprawl is not due to the living preferences of the general populace. The assumption can be made that elements of the common societal structure, such as the financing structure of communities and municipalities, promote the urban sprawl in Germany. Furthermore, the usefulness of the lifestyle approach is discussed.