Urban and Regional Demographic Trends in the Developed World

Abstract

This is the first in a planned series of review essays on urban and regional demographic trends in developed countries. Two recent trends are identified. One is the acceleration of population ageing resulting primarily from the decline in fertility rates since the early 1960s. The other relates to changes in the size and composition of households consequent upon lower fertility rising divorce rates and other sources of household fission. The remainder of the paper investigates the recent literature on the changing urban and regional distribution of population with particular reference to the latest trends in concentration and deconcentration.... (EXCERPT)