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Differentiate between urban and rural areas stating three major features

When I look back a decade ago, I can recall that the difference between rural and urban areas was clearly visible, and there was a wide gap in all sectors like communication infrastructure, population density, and other economic avenues available to the inhabitants. Although the gap still exists, it has significantly shrunk in the last decade.

I personally think that in some parameters, urban life is better, while in others, rural life is better. The point that I want to make here is that we cannot generalize the fact that urban life is better than rural or vice versa. Each of these has its charm. Let's highlight some key differences to differentiate between rural and urban life.

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Urban Infrastructure Outpaces Rural

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The infrastructure in urban areas undoubtedly surpasses development in rural areas. When I talk about infrastructure, I mean facilities like hospitals, schools, transportation networks, hotels, restaurants, shopping complexes, roads, and other economic avenues. Urban areas, being densely populated, need such infrastructure to sustain life in the area. We can see that urban areas are culturally, socially, as well as economically diverse, contrary to rural areas.

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Rural Areas - Strong Social Connections and Hub of Natural Activities

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Although urban areas are socially diverse, the social connections are weaker within urban communities. Life in rural areas is filled with tranquility and peace because the sense of community in rural areas is stronger than in urban areas. People in rural areas know each other and participate in cultural and economic activities with neighbors and relatives, often rare in urban culture.

Rural areas are hubs of natural activities that sustain life, such as dependence on agriculture, farming, livestock, pottery, etc. While economic avenues available to rural people are fewer, they enjoy their life by indulging in natural activities as mentioned above.

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Urban - Economic Opportunities

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Having mentioned above that urban areas have rich infrastructure and are densely populated. People from rural areas have to visit urban areas for their day-to-day activities because all the major government and private offices are settled in urban areas. Therefore, businesses flourish more in urban areas than rural areas and generate more employment opportunities for people there.

Urban people who aren't employed have diverse opportunities to sustain themselves, like setting up mini and micro-small enterprises such as tea stalls, snack stalls, newspaper stalls, etc., which are not possible in rural areas. Therefore, we can see that the hustle and bustle of urban life come with opportunities as well.

Where did you grow up and why ?

I grew up in a rural area because my parents were born there and spent their whole lives there. They didn't migrate to an urban area because they were satisfied with the rural lifestyle and were accustomed to it; it was difficult for them to adopt the urban style. Moreover, they felt it would be challenging for them to fit into urban culture. We also owned property in the rural areas, which they were not willing to sell to shift to an urban area.

My parents were also bound by cultural obligations and practices that prevented them from moving. In the rural area, there is an opinion that selling property in rural areas and buying in urban areas to settle there is not a good sign of a social life. Several factors, such as cultural obligations and attachment to our property, led me to stay in the rural area and grow there.

If you were told to go to the area you didn't grow up from, will you?

I grew up in a rural area, and I am still living there. If I were told to move to an urban area permanently, I wouldn't be ready to do so. However, I would prefer to have a home there too, so as to shift temporarily whenever the need arises.

By shifting temporarily, I mean I would prefer to move to an urban area during harsh winters when life becomes challenging in rural areas due to poor connectivity and other facilities like electricity, water connections, deprivation, and road blockades. Moreover, considering better educational opportunities, I would choose to relocate my kids there to provide access to quality education in the comfortable environment of our home.

While it is possible to send my kids away from the rural area, I would then need to find accommodation for them where they won't feel a sense of belonging, and that could impact their education, which I would not like.

What things are there in the area you grew up from that aren't in the other

Having grown up in rural area and witnessed rural life closely, I can point out some things where rural life is soothing me:

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Rural Camaraderie

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Rural camaraderie refers to a strong emotional connection and sense of belonging within rural communities. It is one of the major factors that make me sit back, relax, and appreciate rural life. The hustle and bustle of urban areas deprive them of empathy and sympathy for each other. Although rural camaraderie is diminishing day by day, the flashbacks of my childhood keep me alive.

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Natural Way of Living

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The lifestyle in rural areas is inherently natural, influencing all activities. "Nikal chalo" practices, rooted in green traditions, have been fading but can still be seen in rural areas. This makes one realize their worth and serves as a reminder of where one came from. The natural practices for sustaining life, such as agriculture, farming, livestock-related activities, pottery, stitching, sozni, etc., give me peace of mind.

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Pollution-Free Environment

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The components of urban environments, like air, water, and soil, are highly polluted nowadays due to exploitation required for sustaining densely populated urban areas. On the contrary, rural environments are still healthy and conducive to a quality way of living.

Conclusion

Rural and urban areas refer to different localities where we reside by chance or choice. Each of these areas has its own pros and cons. None of them is absolutely perfect to reside in or hostile to vacate. Choices are to be made by us according to our own convenience