ABSTRACT
Latin American countries were the first group to grasp the regional development approach. In the mid-1960s many produced regional development plans based on the growth center concept. A holistic view was being taken of areas selected for development and concern was directed toward the interrelationships between various sectors such as agriculture, industry, employment, education, and health. In the early 1970s, international development agencies started to emphasize equity aspects of development projects. The success of development activities is dependent upon adequate understanding of local conditions, socioeconomic processes, and the anticipated impacts of proposed interventions. Urban and regional analysis can make an important contribution to development activities. Regional analysis may focus on a single region or a group of regions. Multiregional analyses compare and contrast the characteristics of individual regions as well as investigate interactions among them.
