Regional cities, agricultural productivity, and employment generation : the challenges of urban transition and rural development

After discussing the problems arising from the rapid urbanization and agricultural stagnation in many developing countries and identifying the inextricable linkage between urban and rural development, the report focuses on the many potential roles of regional cities - market towns, small cities, and secondary urban centers - in supporting agricultural development and providing off-farm employment. These roles include, inter alia, acting as agricultural supply and marketing, agro-processing, agribusiness, transportation, and communications centers; providing employment for urban and rural residents; extending national, regional, or provincial government services; and creating demand for agricultural and cottage industry goods from surrounding rural areas. Through case studies, regional city development programs conducted by the governments of Kenya, Mexico, Panama, and South Korea are evaluated. A final section presents recommendations for A.I.D. policies and programs to strengthen the role of the regional city in rural development. The text includes 15 figures, 1 table, and reference footnotes; lists of related working papers are appended.