A satellite town or satellite city is a concept of urban planning, although many satellite cities and towns appeared spontaneously near many metropolises. Satellite towns are smaller municipalities that are adjacent to a major city which is the core of a metropolitan area. They differ from mere suburbs, subdivisions and especially bedroom communities in that they have municipal governments distinct from that of the core metropolis and employment bases sufficient to support their residential populations. Conceptually, satellite cities could be self-sufficient communities outside of their larger metropolitan areas. However, functioning as part of a metropolis, a satellite city experiences cross-commuting (that is, residents commuting out of and employees commuting into the city). It may involve consciously planned cities to act as spiller or dormitory towns. Some examples of North American satellite cities are Newark, New Jersey; Tacoma, Washington; and Pontiac, Michigan, among others. Australia also has a number of satellite cities including Palmerston, Northern Territory and Elizabeth in South Australia.
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