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This Working Group was set up by IUSSP Council in 1999, following consideration of the report prepared by the Exploratory Mission on urbanization. Its purpose is to explore the dynamics of urbanization, with particular reference to the demographic components of urban growth. Its membership comprises Tony Champion (university of Newcastle upon Tyne, England; chair), Graeme Hugo (university of Adelaide, Australia) and Alfredo Lattes (CENEP, Buenos Aires).
urbanization is seen as a relatively neglected area in population studies, even more so in the past two decades than previously. Recent studies of urbanization have tended to focus on the social and economic aspects of the phenomenon rather than on its demographic dimensions. Also, studies have dwelt more on the consequences of urbanization than on its causes.
Where demographic processes have been considered, rural-urban migration is generally treated as the key element. By comparison, little attention has been given to the effects of differential fertility and mortality or to the role of 'in situ' urbanization resulting from the reclassification of rural settlements. In some countries, international migration is of considerable importance in altering urban populations.
The types of questions that the Working Group wishes to consider include the following:
1) Measurement of urbanization: does the use of different concepts and criteria lead to spurious results? how far does reclassification contribute to increasing urbanization levels? what contrasts exist between different sizes and types of urban areas?
2) Mortality in urban areas: is urban mortality still declining or are health hazards increasing? are there significant contrasts between urban and rural areas? what differentials exist between different types of urban area?
3) Fertility in urban areas: what relationship exists between urbanization and fertility? what mechanisms lead to falling fertility in urban areas? how does this vary between population group?
4) Migration and urban areas: how is migration affecting the size and composition of urban populations? what is the relative importance of internal and international migration? what are the links with fertility and mortality in both short and long term?
The Working Group's Approach
At its initial planning meeting held at Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in April 2000, the Working Group decided that its top priority should be the better measurement and understanding of urban population dynamics. On the one hand, this requires the correct specification of national and regional urban systems, using concepts and criteria that capture the ways in which patterns of settlement are currently evolving. On the other, there is the need for data on population change and its demographic components for these spatial frameworks. At the same time, it is recognised that analysis of the latter can help to inform both the updating of spatial definitions and the selection of the criteria on which the definition operations should be based.
The Working Group believes that IUSSP's initiative is very timely. Its view is that, while urban areas have been regularly updated in most countries, the concepts underpinning this definitional activity have not been reassessed in any fundamental way since the 1970s, when pioneering work was carried out by, among others, the IUSSP's two Committees on urbanization and Population Redistribution (chaired by Sidney Goldstein and Peter Morrison respectively). This is in spite of the growing literature that demonstrates that the simple rural/urban dichotomy is becoming increasingly less useful, with the blurring of the two in both landscape and population terms.
Two further considerations underpin the Working Group's thinking. One concerns the opportunities opened up by the major improvements being made in small-area data availability and in the technical capabilities of computing/GIS processing. Compared to the past, these now permit much more sophisticated approaches to defining places and making population estimates for them. Secondly, there have been changes in the information needs of users, these including not only governments at all scales and also an increasing range of non-government agencies and private sector firms.
Activities of the Working Group
The Working Group has decided to address these challenges through the following set of activities:
An Invitation to Participate in These Activities
The Working Group is seeking to make contact with all those who are interested in these issues. In the main part of its work building up to the seminar, it is intending to invite researchers to undertake a selection of national case studies that would analyse recent trends in urbanization and population redistribution and assess the adequacy of current spatial frameworks for monitoring urban population trends. We would therefore like to hear from anyone that is actively working on these topics for their own or other countries.
We would also like to hear from:
(a) those involved in the collection of population data for urban areas; and
(b) data users with views on how settlements systems could be better defined and on what
improvements they would like to see in the data on demographic trends for these areas.
If you are interested in being involved in any of the Working Group's activities, please get in touch with the Chair of the Working Group (see below for contact details) and send the following details:
Full name (including title): Male/female
Position (including institutional affiliation):
Postal address:
Telephone: Fax: Email address:
Description of your main interests relating to the activities of the Working Group,
including brief details of any recent and current research projects (up to 300 words):
A list of your most relevant output (books, articles, reports and conference papers)
produced since 1995 (up to 5) and/or a copy of your CV:
It would be very helpful if you could send copies of any papers by post.
Contact details for the Working Group
Professor Tony Champion (Chair)
Department of Geography
university of Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7Ru, uK
Tel: +44 191 222 6437
Fax: +44 191 222 5421
Email: tony.champion@newcastle.ac.uk