Urbanization has been one of the dominant processes of modernity, with workers leaving the village for the city, usually never to return. While urbanization has been ongoing for several centuries, the 20th century saw a particular mass movement from the village to the city. Urbanization in developing countries has been especially relevant in recent decades, and all over the world massive urbanization has resulted in rural depopulation and the development of sprawling slums around major cities with poor living conditions. The village is dying.
In the early days of the internet, people began to wonder if the urbanization process might be reversed. The possibilities provided by the internet, such as flexible telecommuting jobs, might make it possible for people to return to the village and work from home offices. The internet could make it possible to live in rural areas, and returning to the village would not necessarily mean being cut off from the world, with all kinds of information at your fingertips. In a sense, the internet could improve both job flexibility and quality of life to such a degree that some might reject the high prices and crowded atmosphere of the big city to return to the village.
So far, the predicted reverse urbanization has not occurred to any great degree. Still, the internet has transformed the workplace and contributed to greater job flexibility and access to information. While the cities may not empty out in the near future, a transformed wired world might curb the urbanization process and keep the village alive.
