Towards an urbanization strategy for Zimbabwe

Abstract

Rapid urbanization through rural-urban migration (hitherto controlled by legislation) is developing in Zimbabwe with the advent of black majority rule. Although some advocate its encouragement to relieve pressures on Tribal Trust Lands, rapid urbanization will nevertheless pose severe planning problems. Although current public sector development proposals represent a conceptual advance, a comprehensive urbanization strategy has yet to emerge. This paper considers such a strategy, relating the country's varying regional development potential to a scheme of classification for proposed growth centres and rural service centres, based on their different characteristics and locations. It is concluded that an hierarchy of growth centres, evaluated by economic efficiency criteria, should be developed in the formerly white-controlled national economic core. In the peripheral, basically subsistent Tribal Trust Lands, a limited number of rural service centres should be developed, based on social/equity criteria. The choice and location of these various development centres, and their phasing should contribute to building up a dynamic national urban system that is nationally and regionally integrated, in contrast to past dualism, and will more effectively serve the needs of planned urbanization and of regional development.