Unit 1: Exercise 1

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Many cities that are now declining relied heavily on a specific industry for the employment of a large portion of the workforce. A classic example is Detroit, once the centre of America’s thriving car industry, but now a sparsely populated urban wasteland. Flint, another ex-industrial powerhouse, can no longer provide the jobs its residents need and so many have left, driven away by unemployment and the prospect of better opportunities elsewhere. For others, a rural life has a greater appeal and this tempts them to leave the city; living in the countryside typically affords lower property prices, healthier living and lower rates of crime.

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It’s this desire to enjoy many of the aspects of an imagined utopia that is prompting many urban dwellers to pack up and move out to the country. Once there, they can grow their own potatoes, have time to talk to their neighbours and not worry about what their kids are up to. Technological changes mean that for many professionals, there’s not so much difference between being in the city and living miles from anywhere, as long as they have a car and a decent internet connection. Many city-to-country migrants, such as Helen Dobson, who recently moved out of Manchester, find that they have to put up with substandard wi-fi anyway – but that’s a different story.

The reasons why populations fall More common than you might think The perks of rural life The impact of migration on rural infrastructure Divided generations The effects of economic downturn A widely publicised phenomenon

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