The relationship between economic development and urbanization is a fundamental one which always features strongly in any analysis of the urbanization process in the developing world.

First published in 1990, this wide-ranging collection of recent and original research studies focuses on urban economic growth at various levels of urban and national development. The contributions range from studies of peripheral states, such a Fiji or Malaysia, to countries of the so-called semi-periphery, such as Spain, South Africa, and Northern Australia. In addition to this broad geographic base, the authors cover a variety of themes within the general framework of urban economic development, from the provision of base services such as housing and food, to the functional preservation of historic cores, and the impact of economic change on family structure.