urbanization

noun

ur·​ban·​i·​za·​tion ˌər-bə-nə-ˈzā-shən 

: the quality or state of being urbanized or the process of becoming urbanized

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The word urbanization started appearing in print way back in the 1880s, which says something about the growth of American cities. The expansion of Los Angeles was an early example of uncontrolled urbanization. Urbanization is often seen as a negative trend, with bad effects on quality of life and the environment. But apartments require much less heat than houses, and commuting by mass transit rather than cars can reduce pollution and energy use, and cities offer improved opportunities for jobs (and often for education and housing as well), so city growth doesn't make everyone unhappy.

Examples of urbanization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are a few reasons for the increase; cities with more dense human populations and more urbanization saw a jump. —Tracy J. Wholf, CBS News, 1 Feb. 2025

Meanwhile, cities with less green space (meaning more buildings and more urbanization) and higher densities of people saw larger increases in rats, the study found. —Benji Jones, Vox, 31 Jan. 2025

Often, those fears have been spurred by urbanization or technological development: In Middletown: A Study in Modern American Culture, a 1929 examination of Muncie, Indiana, two sociologists suggested that the telephone was keeping people from visiting their neighbors. —Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2025

Health threats around the world—not just from infectious diseases, but also urbanization and deforestation—are forecasted to increase due to climate change and other factors, says Spiegel. —Alice Park, TIME, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above