ABSTRACT
In approaching the issue of urbanization in developing countries, a number of misconceptions must be dispelled. Developmental theories of the time proposed the concept of "peripheral urbanization," which emphasized the marginal nature of the developing world. Studies of urbanization in the developing nations now reject previous approaches that emphasized world system marginality or dependency. Urbanization processes in both developed and developing nations often involve combinations of global, national, and local factors that may operate independently of the global economy. The sociospatial perspective on urbanization in developing countries emphasizes global linkages, differences in class structure, the effects of national state arrangements, and differences in local politics as key factors for an understanding of current trends. The issue of the informal economy is an important focus of urbanization research in developing countries and is increasingly an equally relevant topic for the developed countries.
