urbanize
verb [ T ]
PROPERTY, ENVIRONMENT (UK also urbanise) uk/ˈɜːbənaɪz/ usto build on land in the countryside so that the area becomes part of a town or city:
Two million rural residents will move into newly urbanized areas just outside the city.
Japan is a highly urbanized country.
urbanization
noun [ U ] (UK also urbanisation)
Increasing urbanization is accelerating the economic development of the area.