Définition
The degree of urbanisation classification makes it possible to classify communes according to the distribution of the population on their territory. The more concentrated and numerous the population, the more dense the municipality is considered.
The classification is not simply linked to the average population density calculated for the entire municipality (including uninhabited areas such as forests, mountains, and fields); it also takes into account the presence within the municipality of areas concentrating a large number of inhabitants in a small surface.
The degree of urbanisation distinguishes three types of municipalities:
• densely populated municipalities;
• intermediate density municipalities;
• rural municipalities.
Densely populated municipalities and intermediate density municipalities are called urban municipalities.