Industrial decentralization and urban development in India with consideration of South-East and East Asian cases: a workshop on a MOST/UNESCO research project

This Pondy Paper has two main objectives: to present an international and interdisciplinary research project and to report on its preliminary workshop which was held at the French Institute of Pondicherry early in September 1996. "Industrial Decentralization and Urban Development" currently involves Indian, Dutch and French researchers and institutions. The project's main objective is to undertake a comparative analysis of the economic and socio-cultural processes that have fostered industrial growth in small and medium towns, and of the impact of this "decentralized industrialization" on urban development. The underlying question is whether decentralized forms of economic and urban growth can provide more balanced development in the long run, both socially and spatially. The project is currently in its beginning phase. The purpose of this booklet therefore is to stimulate interest and to provide a platform for constructive exchange among fellow academics, policy-makers and organizations active in the field.