Rising densities of human settlements, migration and transport to reduce distances to market, and specialization and trade facilitated by fewer international divisions are central to economic development. The transformations along these three dimensions density, distance, and division are most noticeable in North America, Western Europe, and Japan, but countries in Asia and Eastern Europe are changing in ways similar in scope and speed. 'World Development Report 2009: Reshaping Economic Geography' concludes that these spatial transformations are essential, and should be encouraged. The conclusion is not without controversy. Slum-dwellers now number a billion, but the rush to cities continues. Globalization is believed to benefit many, but not the billion people living in lagging areas of developing nations. High poverty and mortality persist among the world's 'bottom billion', while others grow wealthier and live longer lives. Concern for these three billion often comes with the prescription that growth must be made spatially balanced. The WDR has a different message: economic growth is seldom balanced, and efforts to spread it out prematurely will jeopardize progress. The Report: documents how production becomes more concentrated spatially as economies grow. proposes economic integration as the principle for promoting successful spatial transformations. revisits the debates on urbanization, territorial development, and regional integration and shows how today's developers can reshape economic geography.

Unveiling developmental disparities in the Middle East is essential for understanding the complex socio-economic landscape of the region, often containing critical inequalities and varied economic growth. Despite being rich in resources and cultural heritage, many countries in the Middle East face significant challenges, including political instability, economic volatility, and social unrest, which hinder equitable development. Examining these factors contributing to inequality may help scholars and government officials better address the barriers to sustainable development. Understanding present disparities in the region is crucial for policymakers, international organizations, and communities aiming to promote inclusive growth and improved quality of life. Unveiling Developmental Disparities in the Middle East examines the role of international relations and domestic policies in shaping Middle Eastern economic outcomes, with a particular focus on how governance and institutional development have diverged across these regions. By examining the influence of oil wealth, geopolitical dynamics, and historical legacies, the book offers a comprehensive understanding of why these nations have evolved so differently despite geographical proximity and cultural ties. This book covers topics such as sustainability, gender studies, and political governance, and is a useful resource for government officials, policymakers, gender scientists, healthcare professionals, environmental scientists, academicians, and researchers.

Asia’s rapid economic growth has led to a significant reduction in extreme poverty, but accompanied by rising inequality. This book deals with three questions: What have been the trends of inequality in Asia and the Pacific? What are the key drivers of rising inequality in the region? How should Asian countries respond to the rising inequality? Technological change, globalization, and market-oriented reform have been the key drivers of Asia’s remarkable growth and poverty reduction, but they have also had significant distribution consequences. These three drivers of growth cannot be hindered because they are the sources of productivity improvement and betterment of quality of life. This book will be useful to those interested in policy options that could be deployed by Asian countries in confronting rising inequality.

China is a country in the midst of a transition which is inscrutable to almost all observers. The leadership has changed from the 'old guard' to the 'new guard' with hardly a slip. Capitalism is roaring but somehow at the same time doesn't exist. The economy is booming in virtually all areas. The military is growing more powerful each year, many industries are at world level, and China is taking more and more steps to join the international community while being sure as she doesn't snuggle up too closely. Still, with a population of 1.3 billion and staggering poverty in the rural areas making up the vast part of the country, the face of China remains centuries old. Where she goes, nobody knows. This series examines the issues, policies and progress of China's transition.

The world at large is watching both China and India as powerhouses of economic growth. The two nations have achieved significantly high rates of economic growth ever since their respective economies liberalized in 1978 and 1991. Singapore, despite its limited land size and almost total dependence on external trade, has performed remarkably well and has moved ?from the third world to the first?. This book documents and explains the rapid economic growth of the three key Asian economies.The book also looks at what has happened to income inequality in the context of superior growth performance. It makes comparative assessments and examines the implications for the three nations. Since free markets have nothing in them to produce a reduction in income inequality among persons/households, one must at best hope for equality of opportunity ? notably reflected in identical schooling for all; identical health care for all; and minimal rather than vulgar inequality in housing. This book is particularly useful for both China and India which may wish to study and learn from Singapore in regard to the policies, programmes and projects aimed at ensuring equality of opportunity. The book is backed by considerable expertise on the part of the researchers, with demonstrated expertise through their publications spawning a few decades. It is invaluable to those who are concerned with designing policies for developing countries aimed at rapid and inclusive economic growth.This book has been made possible by the intellectual and financial support extended by the Global Asia Institute, National University of Singapore.

China’s spectacular growth and poverty reduction has been accompanied by growing inequality which threatens the social compact and thus the political basis for economic growth. Chinese policy makers have realized the importance of the problem and have launched a series of investigations and policy initiatives to address the issues. The regional dimension of inequality—rural/urban and inland/coastal—dominates in a country as large as China, and especially with its particular history. Not surprisingly, regional inequality has come to loom large in the policy debate in China. The policy debate has been informed by, and to some extent instigated by, a parallel analytical literature which has quantified the magnitude of the problem and identified recent trends, offered explanations based on rigorous analysis, and proposed policy interventions in light of the facts and understanding. Through a series of articles which have been published in leading journals, the editors have been involved in a systematic investigation into the nature and evolution of regional inequality in China for over a decade.

Food, consumption, demand, agricultural research, fertilizer, land, water resources, infrastructure, domestic grain, international grain market, economy, business, markets, tariffs, environment, health, productivity, pollution, energy, industry, water, urban transportation, pension reform, elderly, education, employment, rural, urban, income, poverty.

The Present Volume Brings Together Author`S Papers On The Three Related Themes, Viz., Development Strategy, Regional Disparities In Development And Centere-State Financial Relations In India. An Extremely Useful Book For Students Of Indian Economy And A Valuable Guide For Policymakers, Researchers And Economic Analysts.

China's remarkable economic transition and capacity for dynamic growth has stunned the world. Throughout the period of economic reform, China has been moving towards the creation of a labour market. The scale of this transformation is unprecedented. New economic incentives, vast labour migration, draconian retrenchment of state workers, and sharply rising wage inequality are all characteristic of this unique transition. Drawing on more than a decade of survey-based research, the authors systematically document and analyse this important transformation. They use economic and sociological theory, institutional analysis and political economy to fully explain the causes, pressures, obstacles and consequences of the move towards a labour market in China. It is argued that much progress has been made towards the creation of a labour market but that the process is far from complete.

This book explores the role of cities and the urban–rural linkages in spurring innovation embedded in spatial planning, strategic and economic planning, and decision support systems. In particular, the contributions examine the complexity of the current transitional phase towards achieving smart, inclusive and sustainable growth, and investigate the post-2020 UE cohesion policy.The main topics include: Innovation dynamics and smart cities; Urban regeneration – community-led and PPP; Inland and urban area development; Mobility, accessibility, infrastructures; Heritage, landscape and Identity; and Risk management, Environment and Energy.The book includes a selection of articles accepted for presentation and discussion at the 3rd International Symposium New Metropolitan Perspectives (ISTH2020), held at the University of Reggio Calabria, Italy on 22–25 May 2018. The symposium, which addressed the challenge of local knowledge and innovation dynamics towards territory attractiveness, hosted the final event of the MAPS-LED project under Horizon2020 – MSCA RISE.