Book
Urbanization and Development in Asia

The 20th century was one of rapid urbanization—that is urbanization by urban growth, and by rural-to-urban migration. By the dawn of the 21st century, for the first time in human history, more than half of the world’s population was living in urban areas. Demographic forecasts for the decades ahead estimate that by the year 2030 almost five billion people will be living in towns and cities, with urban growth most concentrated in Africa and Asia. Asia—comprising countries of growing economic and political importance on the global economic scene—portrays the complexity of urbanization, especially the extent to which it is migration-led. Why do people move from rural to urban areas? In what ways does globalization affect such movement? What are the synergies between globalization, urbanization, and migration? What are the challenges with resettlement, especially those of minority groups? To try to answer these questions and gain a better understanding of what predominant urbanization means for human development UNU-WIDER launched a large research project cutting across scholarly disciplines with specific foci on the world’s regions. This book results from the Asia focus. The reader is in for deep insights into the above issues.