Urbanization, Suburbanization, and Counterurbanization in Estonia

A team of European geographers compares trends in urbanization, suburbanization, and counterurbanization in post-Soviet Estonia with those in other transition countries in the former Soviet Union and Eastern and Central Europe. The study employs data from the first post-Soviet Estonian census to analyze urban and rural population movements during 1989-2000, and contrasts trends in the national settlement system (increasing population concentration in largest metropolitan areas) with those apparent at the intra-metropolitan area scale (suburbanization). Differences in trends prevailing in Estonia vis-à-vis other transition countries are investigated from the perspective of their divergent migration histories.