ABSTRACT
At a general level the nature of urbanization and its associated urban forms in a country are related to the characteristics and extent of economic development. This chapter examines the relationship between economic change and urban development more closely and, in particular, its spatial expression and associated problems at a variety of geographic scales. The historic and contemporary place of a country in the international economic system is obviously likely to influence its economic development and urban system. Countries with strong economies at the forefront of economic advance are likely to have urban systems and problems dominated by the need to accommodate growth, while attempting to maintain the quality of the urban environment. Alternatively, areas with a heritage of outmoded forms of production face problems of economic restructuring and environmental regeneration, while those in the early stages of economic development need to develop a physical and social infrastructure capable of generating self-sustaining growth. Such features are also likely to vary regionally within countries in relation to the nature and relative health of the local economy. Thus, an explicitly economic perspective is considered fundamental to an appreciation of the functional characteristics of urban areas at spatial scales ranging from the global to the intra-urban.
