Urban-Rural Linkages: Research Themes and Directions

ABSTRACT

The geographical analysis of urban-rural relationships has been reinvigorated following the debate about urban bias. There remain however significant problems associated with the nature of linkages between town and country that cannot be just dismissed under the guise of ‘bias’. A series of issues are examined which point the way to further research effort. In particular there is a need for a greater awareness of the problems surrounding the nature of exchange between different sectors of an economy. This needs to be supplemented with a more subtle treatment of the political factors that largely determine resource allocation and the spatial distribution of benefits.