Urbanization and

Metropolitanization Concepts

DPA 312
Definition of concepts
 City (definition from a sociological point of
view) – a relatively large, dense, and
permanent settlement of socially
heterogeneous individuals; characterized
by secondary rather than by primary
contacts; may be face to face but they
are impersonal, superficial, transitory and
segmental
 Characteristics of a city – size of
population, density of settlement,
heterogeneity of inhabitants and group
life
Social Changes and Problems
 Employment and income
 Housing – residence patterns and types of
housing
 Public services and utilities
 Social structure – class structure; community-
informal social controls vs. legal and police
controls
 The family – disintegration of the extended
family; older parents left alone; intergenerational
conflict; trend towards more individualism or
individual independence within the nuclear family
 Patterns of social interaction – work relationships;
non-working relationships
 Quality of life
Continuation of definition of concepts
 Urbanism – complex of traits which makes up the
characteristic mode of life in cities
 Urbanization – denotes the development and
extensions of these factors
 Demographic definition – merely constitutes the
increase of the urban population compared with
the rural one
 Urban growth – absolute increase in physical size
and total population of urban areas (Potter,
1992); it is the sum and result of 3 processes:
net urban migration (in-migration minus out-
migration) plus urban natural increase (births
minus deaths) plus geographical extension of the
urban area
Classical and Neo-Classical Theory
Dealing with Urbanization

 Demographic theories of urbanization and

migration – dominated by the “push and
pull” factors model, whereby the city is
generally seen as a pull and rural areas as
push factor
 Theories about the urban system – urban
hierarchy and of central places
 Cultural theories of the city – mainly
concerned with aspects such as “peasants
in cities” or the culture of poverty
Continuation of theories
 Spatial and social differentiation and
segregation in cities – social area
analysis and the factorial ecology
 Neo-dualist theories – theory of
dependent urbanization; “informal
sector”
Concepts on Metropolitan
Administration

 Metropolis – a large urban settlement

with at least 1M population (Angotti,
1993); its geographical area extends
across several local government
boundaries
 Metropolitan arrangement – where a
highly urbanized city and the LGUs
contiguous with it enter into a cooperative
venture in planning and implementing
urban development activities
Continuation
 Metropolitanization – process whereby a
city expands its influence to surrounding
cities and towns, forming an urban region
or conurbation
 Conurbation – a large geographical area,
extending several local government
boundaries, forming in socio-economic
terms a single continuous urban region
Factors Leading to the Formation of
Metropolitan Arrangements

 Common pressing local concern

 Push from regional/area development
strategies and spatial studies
 Deliberate national policy to improve
services in areas near center of
government and to showcase country’s
drive for modernization
 Local initiative of local officials
Policy Issues
 LGU acceptability
 Metro leadership – who should initiate to get
everyone to agree on a structure?; Determination
of agreeable mode of metro leadership
 Financial sustainability
 Identity and “loyalty” crises of component cities
and municipalities
 Resolution of conflicts – compromise and sacrifice
 Sustaining and enhancing the metropolitan
arrangement
Key Elements for an Effective and
Efficient Metropolitan Planning and
Development of the Region

 Common vision of preservation and

development of the region
 Unified economic and political base
to implement the vision
 Appropriate metropolitan structure
to provide institutional framework
for successful planning and
implementation
Alternative Metropolitan Structures
 New City or Metropolitan City
 Jurisdictional fragmentation with a second-tier
government models –
1. MDC – powers of the LGUs composing the
council are maintained; metro leadership rests on
the council composed of mayors representing the
cities and municipalities; chairmanship is
appointed from among the members
2. MDA – more institutional permanence, greater
corporate powers and functions, and fiscal
advantage; more of a technocratic organization
than a political authority
Continuation of models
 3. Metro Government – LGUs comprising
the metro are subjected to a higher
authority or government; leadership is
usually elected; there is a single tier
council; the mayors act as area managers
 Functional Fragmentation – LGUs within
the metro area have limited
responsibilities for service delivery;
autonomous local bodies with corporate
powers are given the authority to
undertake specific functions and services
on a metro-wide basis