Different paths of urbanization: the unconventional case of developing countries

Abstract: Developing countries have undergone a process of rapid urbanization since the 1950s. However, some of them did not follow the “natural” path of urbanization, implying that additional factors also played an important role in the process of urbanization. This thesis examines common drivers of the urbanization process across countries in Asia, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Thereby, it analyses the role of the two main engines of structural change -i.e. the “labor pull” and the “labor push”, as well as the influence of natural resources. Furthermore, this study examines regional specificities, especially focusing on the process of “premature deindustrialization” after 1990 and the impact of natural resources. The results suggest the “labor pull” to be crucial for urbanization, while indicating that the “labor push” is no longer required to foster higher urbanization rates. Moreover, natural resources emerge as an overall negative influence across regions on urbanization. Finally, the findings point to fundamentally different urbanization processes between the three regions, with especially diverging results for Sub-Saharan Africa.