INTEGRATED RURAL-URBAN DEVELOPMENT: CONSTRAINTS AND POSSIBILITES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RURAL AREAS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
by
Athena Petraki Kottis(*) Abstract
The paper attempts to show the need for designing rural development programs that are integrated not only functionally but also spatially and indicates the steps that can be taken for bringing the missing spatial dimension into these programs. It examines various aspects of an integrated rural-urban development approach and introduces the concept of the rural-urban growth cluster — the entity that should be the target area of a development program. Furthermore, the paper examines the ways in which such clusters can be formed and discusses questions related to their size and to the process of planning for their development. Certain constraints in the use of the proposed approach are identified and suggestions are made for finding ways to overcome them.
(*) The Athens School of Economies and Business, Athens, Grece.
This paper is an extract from the study «Integrated Rural-Utban Development: Constraints and Possibilities for the Development of the Rural Areas in Latin America » which was prepared by the author for the Rural and Urban Development Program of the Organization of American States. The author would like to thank the staff of the Program and particularly Dr. S. Panagides, Director of the Program and Dr. P. Huber, Coordinator of the Urban Section of the Program, for their useful comments and suggestions on the study prepared for O.A.S. and for making available to her a large number of documents. The paper présents the views of the author and does not tepresent the views of the Organization or those who made comments on the original study.