Urbanisation and urban poverty reduction in low- and middle-income countries

Abstract

Goal setting has a longer history in international development than is recognised, and we explore this before addressing contemporary concerns on urban poverty. All official international development assistance is justified by its apparent contribution to reducing poverty, both urban and rural. But during the 1960s, the focus was on economic growth and its underpinnings, such as an educated labour force and economic infrastructure. There was an important new discourse from the late 1960s on the need for development assistance to address social issues, including poverty. The recommendation that more attention be paid to social issues as an end in itself can be seen in the report of a United Nations expert group meeting held in 1969 (United Nations 1971). A critique of conventional aid policies and the demand for more attention to the needs of poorer groups is also evident in the work of Myrdal (1968, 1970). The Pearson Commission, set up to review the successes and failures of aid, included in its recommendations a greater emphasis on ‘social’ projects, although this was not one of its central concerns (Mason & Asher 1973).

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