ABSTRACT
In the period following the Second World War, underdeveloped countries urbanized rapidly so that their urban population doubled in the 30 years to 1975. In the 15 years to 1990, the urban population had doubled again, reaching some 40 per cent of the population of all underdeveloped countries. In some countries, the proportions living in towns of 20,000 or more have attained the high proportions common in the advanced industrial world. Urban growth continues to be accompanied by poverty. Contrasts between wealth and poverty, between 'modernity' and 'traditionalism' are as sharp in the mid-1990s as they were in the mid-1970s. Modern skyscrapers, sumptuous shopping, office and banking facilities still coexist with unpaved streets, squatter settlements and open sewage.
