Growth Centers, Rural Development and National Urban Policy: A Defense

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Abstract
Growth centers have fallen into disrepute as an instrument of spatial policy in developing countries. This paper suggests that they may still be valuable, if harmonized with local economic and social con ditions. The growth centers must be integrated with rural development policies by promoting agro-processing industries rather than capital-inten sive manufacturing, by functioning as an alternative destination for rural migrants to the primate city, and by strengthening the service hierarchies in rural regions. Growth center policies will fail unless they are conceived within the framework of a national urban development strategy. The general arguments are illustrated with a case study of Kenya.