urbanize

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to make an area more urban by increasing its population, buildings, infrastructure, or city-like character

   New rail links rapidly urbanized the formerly rural district.

2. 2
   verb

   to cause people or a society to adopt an urban way of life

   Industrial growth urbanized much of the population within two generations.

From urban + -ize, ultimately from Latin urbanus ("of or belonging to a city"), from urbs ("city"). The verb can describe either physically developing a place or shifting a population toward city life.

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