Asian cities provide for the livelihood and residence of a majority of the human race, but the intensity of urbanization varies significantly across the continent. This book provides a broad overview of the general themes associated with urbanization in its Asian context. Urban processes are examined against the background of migration trends, national econ- omic policies and the past and current emphasis on regional development in various locations. The historical antecedents to current urbanization trends are discussed in several chapters. The bulk of the volume, however, is a review of urbanization processes and policy responses to urbanization in a variety of Asian settings. Among the countries for which urban analyses are provided are India, China, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. Topical areas covered in the book include national economic planning, regional development, urban design Planning and urban renewal policies, as well as general descriptive themes such as land use and demography.

Several highly regarded Asian experts, not only from Asia, but from North America, the Caribbean and Europe, have contributed to the book in addition to the editors, each of whom is widely recognized as a specialist in different parts of the continent: Costa (Southwest Asia), Dutt (South and Southeast Asia), Ma (East Asia), and Noble (South Asia).

Of interest to: geographers, especially in the field of population and settlement geography, agricultural and economic geography, transportation geography and historical geography; ethno- graphers, linguists, travel and transportation specialists, politicians, specialists in economic policy, cartographers, historians and their institutions, scientific libraries.