Urban development in South east Asia

Local government has long been a neglected element in develop ment studies, and the research that has been done has focused on major metropolitan areas. This study seeks to counter the prevailing metropolitan bias by giving greater attention to lower-order urban centers.

Evaluating the causes behind the varying pace of socioeconomic development in three intermediate Southeast Asian cities-Chiang Mai (Thailand), Iloilo City (Philippines), and Penang (Malaysia) the author compares them with other intermediate cities in the same countries. He explains differences in development among cities as a function of differences in their political cultures. The author also examines the impact of urban and local government on the national polity. In conclusion, he offers new theoretical insights into the relationship among local autonomy, political participation, and so cioeconomic development-the three main variables highlighted in the majority of local government studies.