Publication:
Urbanization without Growth : A Not-So-Uncommon Phenomenon

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dc.contributor.authorOpal, Charlotte
dc.contributor.authorFay, Marianne
dc.date.accessioned2015-02-02T20:54:04Z
dc.date.available2015-02-02T20:54:04Z
dc.date.issued2000-08
dc.description.abstractTo find out why African countries' experience with urbanization and sustained growth appeared to differ from that of other countries, the authors investigated the determinants of urbanization across countries over 40 years. Rather than studying individuals' decisions to migrate, they relied on macroeconomic data and cross-country comparisons. A central hypothesis of their study: that individuals move (with varying degrees of ease) in response to economic incentives and opportunities. If location incentives are distorted, so is growth. The authors find that urbanization levels are closely correlated with levels of income. But urbanization continues even during periods of negative growth, carried by its own momentum, largely a function of the level of urbanization. From that viewpoint, Africa's urbanization without growth is not a puzzle. Factors other than income that help predict differences in levels of urbanization across countries include: a) income structure; b) education; c) rural-urban wage differentials; d) ethnic tensions; and e) civil disturbances. In addition, the relationship between economic incentives and urbanization is weaker in countries with fewer civil or political liberties. Factors other than initial urbanization level that help explain the speed of urbanization include: 1) The sector from which income growth is derived; 2) ethnic tensions; 3) civil disturbances and democracy (these two slow the pace of urbanization if all else is constant); 4) rural-urban wage differentials, whether they represent an urban bias or simply lower productivity in agriculture relative to other sectors. The weak relationship that this study shows between urbanization and traditionally accepted migration factors suggests that in Africa economists are overlooking part of the urbanization story. The fact that the informal sector appears to provide a significant source of income for urban migrants, coupled with the overlap between rural and urban activities, may shed light on the nature of urbanization in Africa.en
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-2412
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/21373
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherWorld Bank, Washington, DC
dc.relation.ispartofseriesPolicy Research Working Paper;No. 2412
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo
dc.subjectagglomeration economies
dc.subjectcentral governments
dc.subjectcities
dc.subjectcivil liberties
dc.subjectcivil unrest
dc.subjectcivil war
dc.subjectcountry comparisons
dc.subjectcrime
dc.subjectdemocracy
dc.subjectdemocratic regimes
dc.subjecteconomic conditions
dc.subjecteconomic development
dc.subjecteconomic growth
dc.subjecteconomic incentives
dc.subjectemployment
dc.subjectenvironmental degradation
dc.subjectequalization
dc.subjectexpenditures
dc.subjectgrowth performance
dc.subjectgrowth rate
dc.subjecthealth services
dc.subjecthousing
dc.subjecthousing finance
dc.subjectincome
dc.subjectincome growth
dc.subjectincome level
dc.subjectlarge cities
dc.subjectlaws
dc.subjectliberties
dc.subjectlow income countries
dc.subjectmigration
dc.subjectnational economy
dc.subjectneighborhood
dc.subjectper capita income
dc.subjectpolitical conditions
dc.subjectpolitical rights
dc.subjectpopulation density
dc.subjectproductivity
dc.subjectpublic expenditures
dc.subjectpublic investment
dc.subjectpublic policy
dc.subjectresource allocation
dc.subjectroads
dc.subjectrural banks
dc.subjectrural dwellers
dc.subjectrural population
dc.subjectsanitation
dc.subjectschools
dc.subjectslums
dc.subjectsocial conditions
dc.subjectstructural adjustment
dc.subjecttax revenues
dc.subjecttowns
dc.subjecttrade unions
dc.subjecttransaction costs
dc.subjecttransport
dc.subjecturban
dc.subjecturban area
dc.subjecturban areas
dc.subjecturban bias
dc.subjecturban centers
dc.subjecturban development
dc.subjecturban dwellers
dc.subjecturban economics
dc.subjecturban growth
dc.subjecturban infrastructure
dc.subjecturban poor
dc.subjecturban population
dc.subjecturbanization
dc.subjecturbanization process
dc.subjectwages
dc.subjecturbanization
dc.subjecteconomic growth
dc.subjectincome levels
dc.subjecteducation
dc.subjectrural-urban differentials
dc.subjectwage differentiation
dc.subjectinformal sector
dc.subjecturban bias
dc.subjectdemocracy
dc.titleUrbanization without Growth : A Not-So-Uncommon Phenomenonen
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crossref.titleUrbanization without Growth: A Not-So-Uncommon Phenomenon
okr.date.disclosure2000-08-31
okr.date.doiregistration2025-04-10T10:10:25.040223Z
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.doctypePublications & Research::Policy Research Working Paper
okr.globalpracticeSocial, Urban, Rural and Resilience
okr.guid287181468741917609
okr.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-2412
okr.identifier.reportWPS2412
okr.language.supporteden
okr.region.administrativeAfrica
okr.region.geographicalAfrica
okr.topicUrban Development::National Urban Development Policies & Strategies
okr.topicUrban Development::Urban Services to the Poor
okr.topicHealth, Nutrition and Population::Public Health Promotion
okr.topicCommunities and Human Settlements::Urban Housing and Land Settlements
okr.topicFinance and Financial Sector Development::Banks & Banking Reform
okr.topicGovernance::Governance Indicators
okr.unitPrivate Sector and Infrastructure, Urban Development and Transportation Division
relation.isAuthorOfPublication2211eb84-299d-5db8-af3d-2f2e5f70af9f
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery2211eb84-299d-5db8-af3d-2f2e5f70af9f
relation.isSeriesOfPublication26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
relation.isSeriesOfPublication.latestForDiscovery26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
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