How England's Enclosure Movement Drove Urbanization

The Enclosure Acts consolidated landholdings, displacing millions of rural workers who migrated to cities seeking work. This influx:

• Strained urban infrastructure, causing overcrowding, poor sanitation, and poverty.
• Stimulated rapid urban growth, increasing demand for housing, jobs, and services.
• Freed land for agricultural intensification, boosting food supply and lowering prices, which further supported urban population density.

Enclosure thus accelerated the Industrial Revolution's urban transformation.