Book
Urbanization and Development

Multidisciplinary Perspectives

This volume presents a significant new collection of multidisciplinary papers focused on urbanization and its implications for development. It raises four questions: What is so special about the urban context? Why is urbanization and urban growth important to development at the present conjuncture? What are the strengths and limitations of our current state of knowledge about urbanization and development from the policy perspective? How can a multidisciplinary perspective on the urban context add value to development research and policy?

Table of contents
  1. Part I: Introduction
    Beyond the Tipping Point: A Multidisciplinary Perspective on Urbanization and Development
    Jo Beall, Basudeb Guha-Khasnobis, Ravi Kanbur
  2. Part II: Data and Definitions
    Urban Settlement: Data, Measures, and Trends
    David E. Bloom, David Canning, Günther Fink, Tarun Khanna, Patrick Salyer
    More Working Paper | Urban Settlement
  3. Part II: Data and Definitions
    Agglomeration Index: Towards a New Measure of Urban Concentration
    Hirotsugu Uchida, Andrew Nelson
    More Working Paper | Agglomeration Index
  4. Part II: Data and Definitions
    Parsing the Urban Poverty Puzzle: A Multi-generational Panel Study in Rio de Janeiro’s Favelas, 1968–2008
    Janice E. Perlman
    More Working Paper | Parsing the Urban Poverty Puzzle
  5. Part II: Data and Definitions
    Urban Myths and the Mis-use of Data that Underpin Them
    David Satterthwaite
    More Working Paper | Urban Myths and the Mis-use of Data that Underpin Them
  6. Part III: Economic Benefits of Urbanization
    Evolving City Systems
    Henry G. Overman, Anthony J. Venables
    More Working Paper | Evolving City Systems
  7. Part III: Economic Benefits of Urbanization
    Suburbanization and Residential Desegregation in South Africa's Cities
    Wim Naudé
    More Working Paper | Suburbanization and Residential Desegregation in South Africa's Cities
  8. Part IV: Urbanization: Social Consequences
    The Face of Urban Poverty: Explaining the Prevalence of Slums in Developing Countries
    Ben C. Arimah
    More Working Paper | The Face of Urban Poverty
  9. Part IV: Urbanization: Social Consequences
    The Legacy Effect of Squatter Settlements on Urban Redevelopment
    Ignacio A. Navarro, Geoffrey K. Turnbull
    More Working Paper | The Legacy Effect of Squatter Settlements on Urban Redevelopment
  10. Part IV: Urbanization: Social Consequences
    The Gendered Nature of Asset Accumulation in Urban Contexts: Longitudinal Results from Guayaquil, Ecuador
    Caroline Moser, Andrew Felton
    More Working Paper | The Gendered Nature of Asset Accumulation in Urban Contexts
  11. Part V: Urban Violence
    Violent Urbanization and Homogenization of Space and Place: Reconstructing the Story of Sectarian Violence in Beirut
    Nasser Yassin
    More Working Paper | Violent Urbanization and Homogenization of Space and Place
  12. Part V: Urban Violence
    Dar es Salaam as a 'Harbour of Peace' in East Africa: Tracing the Role of Creolized Urban Ethnicity in Nation-State Formation
    Deborah Fahy Bryceson
    More Working Paper | Dar es Salaam as a 'Harbour of Peace' in East Africa
  13. Part V: Urban Violence
    Urban Violence Is (not) Necessarily a Way of Life: Towards a Political Economy of Conflict in Cities
    Dennis Rodgers
    More Working Paper | Urban Violence Is not (Necessarily) a Way of Life
  14. Part VI: Urban Planning and Governance
    Infrastructure and City Competitiveness in India
    Somik V. Lall, Hyoung Gun Wang, Uwe Deichmann
    More Working Paper | Infrastructure and City Competitiveness in India
  15. Part VI: Urban Planning and Governance
    Solid Wastes, Poverty and the Environment in Developing Country Cities: Challenges and Opportunities
    Martin Medina
    More Working Paper | Solid Wastes, Poverty and the Environment in Developing Country Cities
  16. Part VI: Urban Planning and Governance
    Building Sustainable Historic Centres: A Comparative Approach for Innovative Urban Projects
    Adriana Rabinovich, Andrea Catenazzi
    More Working Paper | Building Sustainable Historic Centres
  17. Part VII: Epilogue
    Themes Emerging, Questions Outstanding, and the Value of a Multidisciplinary Approach
    Jo Beall, Basudeb Guha-Khasnobis, Ravi Kanbur
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Endorsements

'Urbanization and Development: Multidisciplinary Perspectives provides a stimulating account of opportunities as well as challenges that the low and middle-income countries face.' - Abdul Khakee, Scienze Regionali - Italian Journal of Regional Science 'This is a vital collection of essays exploring the full spectrum of perspectives on the connections between urbanization and human progress in the global South. It should be essential reading for academics and decision-makers in development studies, economic development, spatial planning, policy analysis and urban and regional studies.' - Ivan Turok, Deputy Executive Director, Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa

'This volume is a welcome addition to the growing urban literature, particularly for exploring a multi-disciplinary approach to the relationship between cities and development and, equally, for recognising the hope and opportunity that cities can offer.' - William Cobbett, Manager, Cities Alliance

'Thorough and authoritatively written; it makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of urban issues from a multidimensional perspective. The book also emphasizes the importance of the urban context in addressing developmental issues- a feature previously lacking in development policy.' - Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)

'This collection presents state of the art findings on cities and development which draw on a wide range of different but equally rigorous approaches from a variety of disciplines. It suggests some fresh methodological starting points for both academic and policy research on cities. It stages conversations amongst disciplinary perspectives which are currently seldom drawn together, and sets the agenda for the innovative and interdisciplinary research which is needed to respond to the substantial challenges of city life around the world.' - Jennifer Robinson, Professor of Geography, University College London