Primacy and national urban planning strategy in developing countries

Abstract

Primacy, the concentration of population in a few large urban centers within a nation, is characteristic of developing countries and is related to a high rate of population growth and an uncontrolled migration to the largest cities. Friedman's Theory of Spatial Transformation argues that primacy is an evolutionary process; Friedman contends it is highest in midrange developed countries. An investigation of the two principal causes of primacy--population growth and migration--and the development of two indices to measure primacy and development provides a basis for comparison. This examination leads to some recommendations for potential policy makers. A development index as a component of nine socio-economic variables was produced from a taxonomic method. El-Shakhs' method was chosen for determining the primacy index. This study had greater access to more reliable data than was the situation in earlier studies on primacy in nations. In a series of cross-sectional analyses, the relation between the two indices was established, confirming Friedman's theory. For Asian, African, and Latin American countries, the association appeared stronger; since it was more significant in the lesser developed countries, these countries were used for further analysis. ...