Decentralized industrialization and urban dynamics

The major purpose of this study is to investigate the capacity of a medium-sized town such as Jetpur to attract and settle populations in the context of economic and industrial activity and simultaneously to understand what the migrants expect in terms of their economic and social strategies consequent to shifting to a town. Based on a detailed case study, the author evaluates the pull effects of labour markets; patterns of socio-economic integration in the urban context; and the contribution that the migrants have made to the urban growth and industrial development of Jetpur from both a demographic and an economic perspective. In order to better understand the dynamics of these forces, she examines a whole range of issues including the functioning of urban labour markets, the investment and employment strategies of entrepreneurs, and the interaction between population movement and urban economic activities. In conclusion, the author highlights the implications of her findings for the formulation of appropriate industrial and urban policies.