Lower order cities and national urbanization policies: China and India

The authors "examine the urbanization history and policies of China and India with a special emphasis on the lower order cities. [They] consider the proposition that, as the developing countries continue to urbanize at a rapid pace, the lower order cities can play a potentially effective role in guiding future urbanization and in securing a balanced economic and spatial development. Through an examination of the urbanization records, policies, and performance of the lower order cities in these two countries [the authors] discuss the 'top-down' versus the 'bottom-up' approaches to urbanization strategy and national development.... Differences between the urbanization policies of China and India and the transferability of the Chinese experience to other contexts [are also discussed]."