近郊
きんこう · kinkou · JLPT N1 · noun
suburb
🏡 近 (near) + 郊 (city outskirts) = 近郊: the area near the outskirts, i.e. suburbs
近 means near and 郊 means the open land just beyond a city's edge. Together they name the ring between the city centre and the countryside, where suburbs and outskirts are.
近 — 辶 (walk) + 斤 (axe, phonetic)
近 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 辶 radical signals movement or distance, while 斤 (axe) supplies the sound. Together they convey the idea of a short distance to walk, hence 'near' or 'close'.