According to think tank Centre for Towns, a million young people in the UK have moved out of smaller communities over the past 30 years, in pursuit of smart living in a big city. Will smart city technology accelerate this brain drain, or could it be used by local authorities for towns and rural areas, to turn the tables and retain young talent?

When we talk about smart city concepts in the UK, we often reference large metropolitan cities such as London, Bristol or Manchester – bustling hives of innovation that are embracing technology to improve and enhance the lives of citizens. Recent government figures report that just over 45 per cent of those living in rural areas are now aged below 45 years, compared with almost 60 per cent in cities.

This represents a real challenge for the many small cities, towns and rural communities across the UK as young people continue to be lured away from their home towns for work and university. The adoption of smart technologies in these large cities adds to their appeal and is potentially accelerating the flow of younger, digitally native citizens from town to city.

Some 21% of people who are moving home said that they wanted to live in a village, making it easily the most popular type of location, compared to 14% for a market town and only 12% for either a big city or a suburb, according to the study by Strutt & Parker.

The Housing Futures Report found that broadband and mobile connections are essential to rural life. Access to broadband was a key factor for 49% of those intending to move to a village, while 38% highlighted mobile connectivity.

It reveals that with 60% want to be able to walk to shops, 48% close to local transport and 45% near to medical facilities.

‘The UK might seem to be focused on urbanisation but we believe a new, overlooked trend is set to shape Britain’s housing market over the coming decades and this is the desire to move back to rural locations,’ said Stephanie McMahon, head of research at Strutt & Parker.

The shift away from cities is being driven by people looking for neighbourhood safety at 86%, while 58% want space between neighbours and 48% are looking for a strong community feel.

‘The expansion of broadband and mobile communications has seen a greater uptake of working from home in rural locations compared to urban areas. It seems that the same factors that once drove urbanisation, improving economic and social conditions, are now inspiring the village revival,’ added McMahon.

The  report shows a significant increase in respondents looking for rental accommodation. 10% of those wanting to move to a village would live in a professionally managed private rental unit, up from 1% in 2013.

The South East, South West and North East are the three leading destinations for people who are intending to move in the next five years. The South West’s appeal as a lifestyle and retirement location is set to continue attracting moves from the South East and London and with increased government investment in the Northern Powerhouse, the North West is likely to become more attractive.

It tells us: “The brains of people living in cities operate differently from those in rural areas, according to a brain-scanning study. Scientists found that two regions, involved in the regulation of emotion and anxiety, become overactive in city-dwellers when they are stressed and argue that the differences could account for the increased rates of mental health problems seen in urban areas.Previous research has shown that people living in cities have a 21% increased risk of anxiety disorders and a 39% increased risk of mood disorders. In addition, the incidence of schizophrenia is twice as high in those born and brought up in cities.

In the new study, Professor Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg of the University of Heidelberg in Germany scanned the brains of more than 50 healthy volunteers, who lived in a range of locations from rural areas to large cities, while they were engaged in difficult mental arithmetic tasks. The experiments were designed to make the groups of volunteers feel anxious about their performance.”