ABSTRACT
The meaning of urbanization and the characterization of urban areas
Urbanization can mean urban growth, the increase of the absolute number of urban dwellers as well as the proportional increase of the urban population in relation to the total population of a country. Increase can occur by 'natural' growth of the urban population (which depends on many factors and is therefore actually not 'natural' but economically and culturally determined) and increase can occur by rural-urban migration. Today 'the natural population growth plays an even larger role, accounting for three fifths of urban growth on average' (Preston in Gugler 1988). This fact is often overlooked by those who try to combat urban growth by restricting rural-urban migration only and not also by birth control in the cities.
