Written by leading academics in their fields, the book provides an overview of the current thinking on the role of urbanisation in economic growth. It aims to serve as resource for policy makers who are trying to make urbanisation work as part of a national growth strategy.
According to the authors, history has clearly demonstrated that urbanisation is necessary to achieve high growth. Managing urbanisation is a difficult process, however, and policymaking to shape successful strategies for growth requires pragmatism and sensitivity to what is viable.
To that end, the authors examine various issues related to urbanisation and growth, including the policy implications of recent advances in urban economics for developing countries, the role of economic geography in global economic trends, and the impacts of urbanisation on spatial inequality within countries. They also look at housing policy and alternative approaches to financing the extensive infrastructure investments that are needed for cities in developing countries.
Published in December 2008, Urbanization and Growth is edited by Michael Spence, Patricia Clarke Annez, and Robert Buckley. It is the first in a series of thematic volumes that will take stock of current thinking on various aspects of economic growth and assess the most effective approaches for developing countries.
For more about the book and the Commission on Growth and Development, please visit its website.
