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How is the rural-urban fringe changing and why?

Madejski Stadium, Reading

The construction of this football stadium in 1998 shows major changes in the rural-urban fringe of Reading. As the city of Reading's population grows, there is an increased demand for recreational activities. The small amount of space within the inner city, and the greater expense of land means that pressure is put upon the fringes of the city. To accommodate demand, stadia have been built on the fringes of cities throughout the UK. In Reading, there are also examples of golf courses that have been created on the rural-urban fringe, at Calcot and Sonning. 

The pressures upon the rural-urban fringe have also required the construction of many motorways, to link cities for economic gain. For example, just to the south of Reading the M4 is present. Motorways ease transportation problems for industry and tourism. With motorways, the economy of the UK is boosted greatly. 

With British cities experiencing a rising population, and a culture change of families starting later, an increase in the construction of housing is needed. Generally, people also wish to live further away from the centre of the city, which is perceived as a place with more crime and a lack of fresh air. Therefore, pressure is put upon the rural-urban fringe to build more houses. This is a case of suburbanisation, where the outskirts of cities such as Reading become estates; towns are villages also become suburbanised 'dormitory settlements', where their residents work in the city miles away from home. 

These changes in the rural-urban fringe may have a decent economic effect on the city involved. There are gains to be made in housing, recreation and retailing. The development of the rural-urban fringe can also have a good effect socially, as people are content with their suburban houses, and the easy access of shopping and sporting facilities. Nevertheless, the development of the rural-urban fringe has a detrimental effect on the environment. The environmental effects may eventually work against the good economic, and social effects. 

That essay took me about 25 minutes... Hopefully, I'll be able to get the words out quicker in the exam. 12 minutes per essay...

Must mention either Cribbs Causeway or Culverhouse Cross as more local examples. Perhaps Castell Maen too..