Spaces & Flows: Ninth International Conference on Urban and ExtraUrban Studies

Abstract

Africa in general and Ethiopia in particular are among the least urbanized but rapidly urbanizing parts of the globe. The rapid urbanization of Ethiopia is peculiar in such a way that it is happening in largely populated least urbanized, but alarmingly urbanizing nation, which is currently experiencing rapid economic growth, socio-political transformations, urbanization borne political instabilities and emergence of new forms of settlements. Massive investments in urban and trunk infrastructure and mushrooming private economies are driving the rapid growth of urban areas which in turn are causing expropriation of farm lands and rural hamlets. These cause massive rural upheavals against the urban growth and induced innovative responses from the rural parts. As a result, new forms settlements which are commonly called periurban are becoming the typical phenomenon of rapidly growing areas. The proliferations of periurban areas exhibit its own genesis, dynamics and development. In the periurban areas various dynamics are underway shaping their nature and form. These in turn determine the efficacy of planning endeavors. Understanding the nature of these dynamic has significant implications for devising effective land use planning. Thus, the paper intends to identify the dynamics of periurban Ethiopia and its implication to the planning policy system. This will have various theoretical and practical benefits. Theoretically, it helps to understand the peculiar nature and dynamics of periurbanization of developing countries. And it helps to produce some empirical evidences from the global South. Practically, it helps to devise appropriate planning policies and strategies at local level.