“…Peri-urban and urban increases, land abandonment and rural decreases: why have people moved to cities?The fast observed urban expansion in NCSP (167% of dense urban and 26.6% of periurban from 1985 to 2015) can be linked to urban population growth, which went from 87,777 inhabitants in 1980 to 223,914 in 2000 and 281,800 in 2010, as a result of migration to urban centers (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia eEstatística, 1980Estatística, , 2000Estatística, , 2010. In 1970, 81% of the censused population was classified as urban, increasing to 95% in 1980 and more than 98% in 1991, 2000 and 2010(Carmo et al, 2012; IBGE, 1970 IBGE, , 1980 IBGE, , 2000 IBGE, , 2010Rosemback et al, 2017) Inostroza et al (2010). have investigated different cities in South America and shown that population growth was a very important driver for urban expansion during the second half of the 20th century, led mostly by emigration from rural areas to the cities.…”