Measuring small towns – why definitions matter?
The definitions used to classify settlements are critical in determining the allocation of resources. To fulfil their functions, urban centres need financial resources and technical capacity. This is especially important for small towns as they ‘graduate’ from large village to urban centre. But what makes a settlement ‘urban’? The DEGURBA and Africapolis definitions provide useful indications of how many people live in densely-settled areas, and of their needs for basic infrastructure and services. They do not, however, account for the complex dynamics of economic and social change that underpin urbanisation. A more detailed definition of ‘urban’ that includes urban functions such as the provision of services, facilities and infrastructure, the economic structure and the employment sectors of residents is likely to more closely reflect the reality.
Reading Development 