The term was coined by the urban researcher Terry McGee of the University of British Columbia around 1990.
[9] Desakota areas are situated outside the periurban zones, from which daily commuting is easily possible, i.e. more than 30 to 50 km (18 to 30 miles) off the city centre.
[11] Given their rambling extent and indistinct boundaries, the emergence of Desakota regions brings difficulties for the administration, as uniform plans, regulations or designs are hardly viable.
Desakota regions are characterised by high mobility of goods and services and rapid change in patterns of settlement.
Completely different forms of use, as e.g. traditional agriculture, large scale and cottage industry, amusement parks and golf courses, shopping centres and retail parks, and forms of settlement from shanty towns to gated community coexist in them close to each other.