What is the process called when towns expand outward into low-density suburbs?

The correct choice refers to the process known as suburbanization. Suburbanization involves the movement of populations and businesses from urban centers to the surrounding low-density suburbs. This phenomenon results in the expansion of towns and cities outward into these areas, contributing to the growth of suburban regions.

Suburbanization is often driven by factors such as a desire for more space, lower housing costs, and the appeal of a quieter lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle of urban environments. Additionally, improvements in transportation infrastructure, such as roads and public transit, facilitate this outward movement, allowing people to commute into the city for work while enjoying the benefits of suburban living.

While urban sprawl could also describe the uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into the countryside, suburbanization specifically focuses on the transition from urban centers to suburban locations. The other options, such as ruralization and counter-urbanization, pertain to different processes involving population movement and land use changes, but they do not accurately capture the essence of towns expanding into low-density suburbs.