Rural-Urban Linkage

 

It can be defined as the structural, social, economic, cultural and political relationships maintained between individuals and groups in urban environment and rural environment. It can also refer to spatial and sectoral flows that occur between rural to urban areas. The spatial flow means flow of people, goods, money, technology, knowledge, information, etc. Sectoral flow refers flow of agricultural products going to urban areas and goods from urban manufacturing areas going to more rural areas. Rural-urban linkage are connected in nature and forms of migration, production, consumption, financial and investment linkages that occur between rural and urban relationships. The exchange of money, goods, visits including social activities and communication with relatives and friends are indicators of rural-urban linkage. The nature and form of rural-urban linkage are not homogeneous as they are determined by the push and pull factors. The influence of push and pull factors can differ from one place to another and for different sectors.

Patterns of Rural-Urban Linkage

The analysis of rural and urban linkage is important because rural and urban livelihoods are interconnected. As incomes from agricultural decrease, rural households are forced to develop new and more complex forms of livelihoods strategies which include both agriculture and non-farm incomes as well as remittances. New spatial and sectoral patterns have emerged along the rural- urban continuum as a consequences of migration, road accessibility, information technologies and production flows. Rural women tend to be particularly more active in rural- urban trade. The relationship between rural and urban areas has been changing all over the world due to the number of factors including new settlement patterns which can be linked to economic and social transformations occurring throughout the world. The rural and urban areas are seen as the two end in a spatial continuum. In between rural and urban areas, there are peri-urban areas where urban and rural areas are spatially intermingled and interactions are most in tense. Peri-urban area lies in the middle of the continuum between rural and urban characteristics. It has the mixed characteristics of rural and urban.

Importance of Rural-Urban Linkage:

a.      The positive rural-urban linkage can contribute to equitable development hence helps to acquire regional balance.

b.     People of urban who are tired of the urban environment can enjoy rural environment due to the rural-urban linkage.

c.      Rural-urban linkage helps the transfer of knowledge and information in the people between rural and urban.

d.     Rural and urban linkage fulfills the need of the both rural and urban people.

e.      It helps to give a market for the agricultural and other products made in rural area and also helps  the rural people  to consume healthy and locally made agricultural and other products.

f.       It helps the people of rural area to migrate in urban area for job and also helps rural women to sell their products easily.

g.     It helps to fulfill the information, technology and development gap between the  rural and urban area.