Residential mobility in rural areas of population growth

Abstract

The most striking population change during the past few decades has been the repopulation of rural areas in many countries throughout the developed world. This thesis aims to determine the nature and extent of similar redistribution trends within Northern Ireland.

Secondary data, including the Census and annually produced Analysis of the Register of Electors, are utilised to identify the spatial patterns which have emerged since the middle of the century. The finer details of these trends are examined through the use of survey data, collected in six study areas recording a population growth during the 1980s. These areas are spatially diverse and incorporate a variety of rural environments.

Spatial trends identified include the deconcentration of population out of the largest urban centres and the continued urbanisation of middle-order settlements. In recent years these trends have been accompanied by a population revival in many rural areas. The presence of a settlement is particularly influential, but its size alone does not appear to influence growth rates.

Survey data suggest that in-migration is secondary to a rural retention or return migration, especially in remoter areas. In areas adjacent to an urban centre, an urban-rural flow is more in evidence. The demographic and socio-economic characteristics of movers are largely as anticipated, with few striking variations between this group and established residents. This cannot be said of the housing characteristics of both groups. Supplementary use of residential planning data verifies the survey results in that movers to accessible rural localities resettle within newly constructed private housing estates within rural settlements, whereas in remoter areas, individual house building in the open countryside is more frequent. Mobility decisions are assessed at three stages in the relocation process and are found to differ at each stage. Decisions to move relate to changing personal and domestic circumstances, but the choice of relocation and specific destination varies. The availability of property and a rural preference characterise movers to accessible areas, while close personal ties dominate in remoter environments. Regional development strategies and changes in rural planning legislation are found to accommodate these decisions. A repopulation of the countryside does not appear to have any adverse effects on the communities concerned.

This study demonstrates that urbanisation and repopulation processes can occur at the same time. A search for a uniform redistribution pattern and set of explanations is, therefore, unlikely to describe or explain fully the complexity of processes associated with redistribution patterns or a rural population revival.

Date of Award	1991
Original language	English
Supervisor	John Coward (Supervisor) & Colin Thomas (Supervisor)