Which term is used to describe the urban growth process that often occurs alongside economic development?

The term that describes the urban growth process occurring alongside economic development is urbanisation. Urbanisation refers to the increasing population and expansion of cities as people move from rural to urban areas, often driven by the promise of better job opportunities, education, and living standards that come with economic progress. This phenomenon is a crucial aspect of modernization in many developing countries as they industrialize and grow economically.

Urban renewal, on the other hand, involves the redevelopment and revitalization of existing urban areas to improve living conditions or aesthetics, rather than the general growth process of cities. Urban decentralisation refers to the distribution of population and businesses away from central urban areas, typically resulting in a spread of developments but not inherently linked to the initial process of urban growth. Suburbanisation involves the growth of suburbs around the urban core, often as a response to urban congestion, but it does not encompass the overall increase in urban population and expansion associated with economic development like urbanisation does.