Unlike countries in Europe and North America that underwent intensive urbanization
much earlier in the late 19th century, Philippine urbanization only started to intensify during the
last four decades. The process of urbanization in both contexts share some characteristics, but the
global and regional contexts of today’s Asian cities provide a different configuration and
prospects for urban development compared to the early urbanization patterns observed in
advanced countries. Asian urbanization has also been fueled by rural-urban migration, natural
increase, and reclassification, but these forces have been shaped by the different politicaleconomic
and cultural structures of the region and by the specific national contexts of their cities.
But definitely, urbanization is a central force that is fundamentally altering Asian cities and
urban agglomerations today.