Introduction

Many of the developing world's urban problems are the result of a combination of a number of factors. While population growth is one of the factors contributing to the deprivation and decay characteristic of most urban areas in the developing world, there are other factors. Apart from the demographic and economic factors, the political organizational factor of centralization has concentrated decision-making and with it, resources in the urban areas leading to rural-urban migration. The pace of economic growth in the developing world countries has generally lagged behind population growth. In contrast, the industrial revolution provided the needed economic growth for the urbanization of developed countries. Urban management in most developing countries, rather than being a process of deliberately directing and facilitating urban development, is now mainly about managing the chaotic process of urbanization. The chapter also provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.