The following definition was excerpted from Statistics Canada's 1991 Census Data Dictionary.
6041 URBAN AREA (UA)
The general concept of an urban area (UA) is that of an area containing a dense concentration of population.
Statistics Canada defines an urban area as an area which has attained a population concentration of at least 1,000, and a population density of at least 400 per square kilometer, at the previous census. All territory lying outside urban areas is considered rural. Taken together, urban and rural areas cover all of Canada.
Urban areas separated by gaps of less than two kilometres are combined to form a single urban area.
Censuses: 1991, 1986, 1981, 1976,* 1971,**1966,**1961**
Rules and Operational Procedures:
The delineation of urban areas is based primarily on an analysis of population
concentration and population density. The population data used to delineate
urban areas can be analyzed at various geographic levels of precision. For reasons
of operational efficiency, urban areas are formed in a building-block fashion,
beginning with large geographical units and subsequently refining the delineation
with smaller units.
The geographical units used as building blocks of urban areas are examined
in the following order:
(a) census subdivisions (CSDs), according to their current census limits;Statistics Canada applies the following rules and procedures, in the order shown, when delineating urban areas:
(b) enumeration areas (EAs), according to their limits from the previous census;
(c) parts of EAs.
(1) CSDs with a population of at least 1,000 and an overall population density of at least 400 per square kilometre at the previous census are delineated as entirely urban.
(2) EAs are then added to the urban area if they are adjacent to an urban CSD and if they, or parts of them, have a population density of at least 400 per square kilometre at the previous census.
(3) In other areas, contiguous EAs or parts of EAs which, when combined, have a population of at least 1,000 and an overall population density of at least 400 per square kilometre at the previous census are delineated as urban.
(4) Other land uses which are considered urban (e.g. commercial and industrial districts, railway yards, parks and cemeteries) are then added to the areas containing the concentrations of population.
(5) In order that they can be readily identified, urban area limits are then adjusted to follow recognizable features on the ground such as streets, roads, railways, rivers or lakes.
(6) For purposes of confidentiality and operational efficiency, if the difference between the land area of a CSD and that of an urban area contained within it is less than 10 square kilometres, then the urban area is enlarged to include the entire CSD.
(7) Gaps between urban areas are then measured and, if less than two kilometres separates two or more urban areas, they are combined to form a single urban area.
Urban area names are assigned according to the following rules:
(8) If the principal CSD in the urban area is a city, town or village, and the urban area population within the CSD is at least 75% of the CSD population, then the CSD name is assigned to the urban area.
(9) If the urban area population is less than 75% of the CSD population, or if the principal CSD is not a city, town or village, then an appropriate place name is assigned to the urban area.
(10) A compound name is assigned to the urban area if it contains two or more principal CSDs.
Special Notes, Quality Statements and Applications:
Because of the above rules and procedures, the boundaries of urban areas may not conform precisely with the limits of their densely populated areas. In general, this is felt to have little impact on the total population considered as urban, but may have a significant impact on the land area considered as urban in specific cases. This would affect any programs or research based on precise distance or land area measurements related to individual urban areas.
While all urban areas contain a population concentration of at least 1,000 with a population density of at least 400 per square kilometre, the application of rules (4), (5), (6) and (7) results in some urban areas having an overall population density of less than 400 per square kilometre.
Population data used to delineate urban areas are obtained from the previous census. In areas where significant population growth or decline has occurred since the previous census, the designation of an area as urban or rural may no longer reflect its current population or population density, and its delineation may no longer conform to the current limits of the densely populated area.
Remarks:
In 1991, five urban areas straddled provincial boundaries. They
included Campbellton (New Brunswick-Quebec), Hawkesbury (Quebec-Ontario),
Ottawa-Hull (Quebec-Ontario), Flin Flon (Manitoba-Saskatchewan) and Lloydminster
(Saskatchewan-Alberta).
The following definition was excerpted from Statistics Canada's 1996 Census Data Dictionary.
A. URBAN AREA (UA)
Urban areas have minimum population concentrations of 1,000 and a population density of at least 400 per square kilometre, based on the previous census population counts. All territory outside urban areas is considered rural. Taken together, urban and rural areas cover all of Canada.
Censuses: 1996, 1991, 1986, 1981, 1976, 1971, 1966, 1961
Rules:
The delineation of urban areas is based on analysis of population concentration and population density. From largest to smallest, the geographic units used as building blocks of urban areas are:
(a) census subdivisions (CSDs), according to their current census limits;The urban area delineation rules are ranked in order of priority:
(b) designated places (DPLs), according to their current census limits; and
(c) enumeration areas (EAs), according to their limits from the previous census and the current census if adjustments to the limits were made.
1. CSDs with a minimum population of 1,000 and a population density of at least 400 per square kilometre for the previous census are delineated entirely urban. If the CSD subsequently experiences boundary adjustments, then the urban area is reviewed.
2. DPLs with a minimum population of 1,000 and a population density of at least 400 per square kilometre for the previous census are delineated entirely urban. If the DPL subsequently experiences boundary adjustments, then the urban area is reviewed.
3. If an EA with a population density of at least 400 per square kilometre for the previous census is adjacent to an urban CSD or DPL, then it is added to the urban area. Any EA was reviewed if it was adjacent to an urban CSD or DPL that underwent a boundary change. If the EA had a population density of at least 400 per square kilometre according to its current census limits, then it is added to the urban area.
4. If an EA or group of contiguous EAs, each having a population density of at least 400 per square kilometre for the previous census, has a minimum population of 1,000 when summed together, then the EA or group of contiguous EAs are delineated urban. If adjustments to EA boundaries result in the EAs having a population density of at least 400 per square kilometre according to the current census limits, and result in the sum of these EAs being a minimum population of 1,000, then the EAs are delineated urban.
5. For 1996, commercial and industrial districts, railway yards, parks, airports and cemeteries designated urban in previous censuses were maintained without additions.
6. For confidentiality purposes, the difference in land area between the containing CSD (or DPL) and the land area of the contained urban population concentration is calculated. If this difference is less than 10 square kilometres, then the boundary for the urban area is adjusted to the CSD (or DPL) boundary.
7. The distance by road between urban population concentrations is measured. If the distance is less than two kilometres, then the urban population concentrations are combined to form a single urban area.
Naming Convention for Urban Areas:
The name of the urban area is the name of the principal CSD when the CSD is a city, town or village, and at least 75% of the CSD population is within the urban area. The name of the urban area is an appropriate place name when less than 75% of the associated CSD population is within the urban area. If an urban area spans two or more principal CSDs, it may be given a compound name.
Urban area codes are unique four-digit codes that are assigned sequentially
upon the UA creation. These codes remain constant between censuses. If
an urban area is retired due to amalgamation or failure to meet the population
or density thresholds, then its code is retired.
It is recommended that the UA code also be preceded by the two-digit
province code in order to uniquely identify each UA within its corresponding
province/territory. For example:
PR-UA Code UA NameSpecial Notes, Data Quality and Applications:11 0159 Charlottetown (P.E.I.)
13 0122 Campbellton (N.B.)
24 0122 Campbellton (Que.)
46 0282 Flin Flon (Man.)
47 0282 Flin Flon (Sask.)
60 1023 Whitehorse (Y.T.)
The application of the above rules results in some urban areas having population densities less than 400 per square kilometre and boundaries that do not conform with the limits of the densely-populated areas. In general, the impact on the total population within urban areas is minor, but impact on specific urban land areas could be significant. This would affect any programs or research based on precise distance or land area measurements related to individual urban areas.
Population data used to delineate urban areas are obtained from the previous census. If significant population growth or decline has occurred since the previous census, the designation of an area as urban or rural may no longer reflect its current population or population density. As a result, it may no longer conform to the urban area delineation rules.
Once an UA attains a population of 10,000, it is eligible to become the urban core of a census agglomeration. Upon attaining a population of at least 100,000, it is eligible to become the urban core of a census metropolitan area. An urban area with a population of at least 50,000 that is also the urban core of a census agglomeration makes the CA eligible for subdivision into census tracts.
For further details, refer to the definitions of Urban Core, Urban Fringe and Rural Fringe and Urban Population below
Remarks:
In 1986, 1991 and 1996, five UAs straddled provincial boundaries: Campbellton (New Brunswick-Quebec), Hawkesbury (Ontario-Quebec), Ottawa - Hull (Ontario-Quebec), Flin Flon (Manitoba-Saskatchewan) and Lloydminster (Alberta-Saskatchewan).
B. Urban Core, Urban Fringe and Rural Fringe
The urban core, urban fringe and rural fringe distinguish between central
and peripheral urban and rural areas within a census metropolitan area
(CMA), primary census metropolitan area (PCMA), census agglomeration (CA)
or primary census agglomeration (PCA).