 Many of the inner city areas are now inhabited by students living in shared houses.As part of the wider Tyne and Wear Green Belt area, Durham's portion extends beyond its urban area extents of Framwellgate Moor/Pity Me, Elvet and Belmont, it being completely surrounded by green belt.This primarily helps to maintain separation from Chester-le-Street, and restrain expansion of the city and coalescence with nearby villages such as Bearpark, Great Lumley and Sherburn.