Methodological features of the world urbanization processes study

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to reveal the methodological features of the urbanization research and analyze global urbanization processes. Urbanization is a complex human-geographical process that develops and manifests itself in two dimensions: spatial and social. Therefore, urbanization processes are a prerequisite for global transformations in both spatial and socio-geographical dimensions. Basic material. Urbanization is a specific socio-geographical process, characterized by significant dynamism and global manifestation. The biggest problem of modern urbanization is reorientation of its spread and development vectors: while in the XIX-XX centuries urbanization was a phenomenon typical for mostly developed and highly developed countries, the challenge for society in the XXI century is the intensive urbanization development in the low-income countries, the so-called “third” countries. A scientist can apply a wide range of philosophical, general and specific scientific methods to study global urbanization processes, assessing the intensity level of the urbanization process, using the parameters and a set of indicators that characterize the state of spatial transformation under anthropogenic impact, economic and social development. Many countries around the world use primary criteria to determine urban (urbanized) areas - administrative (25.3%), demographic (15.9%), and urban (3.4%) ones. The analysis of indicators characterizing the peculiarities of developing modern urbanization processes demonstrates a significant differentiation of the manifestation. A distinctive feature is the increasing level of urbanization in poor countries in Africa and Latin America. Establishing the interdependence between the level of economic development of the country (GDP per capita) and the number of urban population prove unconditional direct but conditional reverse relationship. Conclusions and further research. The approbation analysis of the urbanization process at the global and regional dimensions, the study of the ratio of urban population share and GDP of the world countries demonstrates the ability of the selected approaches and research methods. It also determines application of the original (author’s) research methods to monitor and predict further urbanization development at different hierarchical levels.