Patterns and Trends of Urbanization and Urban Growth in Asia

Abstract

One of the most significant causes and consequences of the rapid social and economic transformation that has swept Asia in recent decades is the transition from predominantly rural to urban societies. In 1970, 519 million or 24.1% of Asians were living in urban areas, but the estimates (United Nations 2014a) indicate that more than two billion Asians (46.3%) live in urban areas in 2014. This represents not only a profound change in the population distribution but also in terms of the way Asians live their lives, work and interact. Since Asia is such a diverse and vast region, the extent and rate of urbanization has varied between countries and regions, but urbanization has been inextricably linked with those areas with the most rapidly growing economies. This chapter seeks to examine recent patterns of urbanization in Asia. In doing this, it relies upon demographic data from national censuses and data compiled by the United Nations (2014a). Accordingly, at the outset, we sound some important warnings about differentiating between urban and rural areas since the criteria vary widely between countries. An analysis is then made of changing levels of urbanization across the region, and a simple attempt is made to relate it to the level of development. A common misconception regarding urbanization in Asia is that it involves a simple redistribution of people from living in rural areas to urban areas. It is demonstrated here that the process is a much more complex one involving a mix of migration and mobility strategies. A closer examination is made then of the dynamics of population growth in urban Asia. Finally, some comments are made regarding future patterns of urbanization in the region.