Migration to the Rural-urban Fringe: An In Depth Look at a Higher Quality of Life as a Driving Factor

As cities grow so do their rural-urban fringes (fringes). People move from a variety of places to the fringes of large cities (i.e., with over 500,000) for a better life. This paper focuses on the migration of people to the fringe and how quality of life varies between the fringe and the inner core of large cities. We examine the diversity of the Canadian population by reviewing studies done on various age groups, and different backgrounds, including Aboriginal and First Nations people. We also compare quality of life differences from the United States, Europe, and Asia with those from Canada in a review of the rural-urban fringe literature. This comparison uses quality of life factors, such as health, economy and education. Population data is also examined to show migration trends. The preliminary result of our research is that migration to commuter settlements in the rural-urban fringe is common, but there are tradeoffs associated with the move away from the cores of large cities. In conclusion, for some people there is a positive correlation between a higher quality of life and migration to the fringe. However, not everyone will benefit from such a move