Chapter 6 

 URBANIZATION, TRANSPORTATION, AND COMMUNICATION 



INTRODUCTION 



The rapid growth of major urban concentrations in 

 developing countries is creating enormous demands for 

 shelter, water, sanitation, education, health care, 

 transportation, and communications. Although most 

 people in these countries are not now living in urban 

 areas, the trend toward urbanization continues. An 

 estimated 1.2 billion more people will be living in 

 urban areas by the year 2000, including at least 40 

 percent of the population in developing countries. 

 This calls for strategies to help accommodate the 

 inevitable expansion of existing big cities, to divert 

 more growth into intermediate cities, and to improve 

 the productivity and satisfactions of rural life. 



Urbanization is an important dimension of economic 

 and social progress. Countries with the highest 

 percentage of urbanization have the greatest life 

 expectancy, the highest literacy rate, the largest 

 school enrollment, the highest newspaper circulation, 

 the most favorable ratio of doctors to population, the 

 highest caloric and protein intake, and the highest per 

 capita income. But there are wide variations between 

 the poor and the affluent in cities. Ideally, growth 

 should be encouraged in medium-sized rather than major 

 cities, and in ways that assure all urbanites access to 

 urban opportunities. 



Better understanding of urbanization processes and 

 improved technical skills in building and managing 

 cities could yield high payoffs. Potentials include 

 better construction techniques and materials, new 

 sources of energy, innovative physical designs, more 

 efficient waste management, recycling, improved 

 communication systems, and more. Land-use planning and 

 the use of telecommunications and transportation can 

 make possible improved national patterns of urban 



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