This document discusses urban communities in Southeast Asia. It begins by defining key concepts like urban, rural, and metropolitan areas. Nationally, definitions of "urban" vary and can include factors like population density, employment levels, and population thresholds. The document then examines types of urban communities like slums, residential areas, and suburbs. It provides data on urbanization rates and slum populations in Southeast Asian countries. The document emphasizes that there is a continuum between rural and urban areas, and that communities are defined both spatially and socially.

1. URBAN COMMUNITIES
Jorge Carrillo
12th June 2012

2. Presentation
 Concepts and definitions
 Rural vs. Urban
 Urban communities
 Types of urban communities (slums,
residential, suburbs)
 Understanding the “urban”

3. Concepts and definitions
 What is urban?
 Urban agglomeration
 Metropolitan area
 City
 Object of study vs. object of intervention
 Communities

4. What is urban
 No definition of urban places has been
universally adopted by national governments
 No international definition has been agreed
(Census)
 Nationally-decided urban criteria is not fully
available, making difficult to develop uniform
standard

5. What is urban 2
Cambodia Localities with at least one of the following: (a) population density exceeding
200 per km, (b) percentage of male employment in agriculture below 50
percent, or (c) total population of the commune exceeding 2,000.
Indonesia Municipalities, regency capitals and other places with urban characteristics
Laos Areas within municipal vicinity with the center of that municipality having
more than 600 residents or more than 100 households. Further, the areas
have to have certain urban characteristics (roads, electricity, market function,
tap water supply).
Malaysia Gazetted areas with their adjoining built-up areas and with a combined
population of 10,000 persons or more. Built-up areas were areas contiguous
to a gazetted area and had at least 60 per cent of their population (aged 10
years and over) engaged in non-agricultural activities. Areas had also modern
toilet facilities in their housing units.
Philippines All cities and municipalities with a density of at least 1,000 persons per square
kilometre; administrative centres, of at least 2,000 inhabitants, and of at least
1,000 inhabitants which are contiguous to the administrative centre, in all
cities and municipalities with a density of at least 500 persons per square
kilometre; and all other administrative centres with at least 2,500 inhabitants.
Thailand Municipalities
Vietnam Places with 4,000 inhabitants or more.

6. What is urban 3
Urban agglomeration Comprises the city or town proper and also the
suburban fringe or thickly settled territory lying
outside, but adjacent to, its boundaries. A single urban
agglomeration may comprise several cities or towns
and their suburban fringes
Metropolitan area Politically defined urban area set up for planning or
administration purposes which may combine several
jurisdictions (municipalities or cities) and areas of lower
density under the direct influence of the city
(transport, amenities, roads)
City Area of a population centre located within municipal
boundaries designated as such by the central
government for management, legislative and
administrative purposes

7. 7
BMA
Samut Prakan
Pathumthani
Nonthaburi
1. “Bangkok MetropolitanAdministration“Area (=special
Province of Bangkok, BMA) only - 1,500 km2
2. Greater Bangkok: BMA + 3 Provinces - 4,500 km2
3. “Bangkok andVicinity“: BMA + 5 Provinces – 7,500 km2
4. “Extended Metropolitan Region“; “Industrial Heartland“
“Bangkok“ defined

8. Urban structure
Subsystem Characteristics Built form
Core Knowledge, tertiary
economy
Polynuclear
Mixed land use
Hotels, offices, condominiums
Mass rail transit
Suburbs Residential (commuters)
Retailing
Mature (lower value)
industry
Suburban “villages” (muban)
Gated communities
Mega malls
Expressways
Radial development (North &
East)
Exurbia Industrial estates
Industrial support
infrastructure
Industrial estates
Ports
Spontaneous (squatter) worker
settlements

9. Downtown
Manila Vientiane
Bangkok Canberra

10. Urban population
Urban Rural Total % urban 2020
South-Eastern Asia 268,064 331,961 600,025 44.7 50.0
Brunei Darussalam 308 98 406 76.0 79.0
Cambodia 2,857 11,448 14,305 20.0 22.1
Indonesia 122,885 119,441 242,326 50.7 57.2
Lao PDR 2,154 4,134 6,288 34.3 43.6
Malaysia 20,999 7,860 28,859 72.8 77.9
Myanmar 15,778 32,558 48,337 32.6 37.9
Philippines 46,326 48,526 94,852 48.8 51.6
Singapore 5,188 — 5,188 100.0 100.0
Thailand 23,689 45,829 69,519 34.1 38.0
Timor-Leste 327 827 1,154 28.3 31.8
Viet Nam 27,553 61,239 88,792 31.0 36.9

11. Rural-urban continuum
 There is no clear demarcation between rural
and urban
 Physical continuity from urban centres
through suburbs, sparsely populated urban
areas, peri-urban communities, rural market
towns, etc
 Administrative divisions are set by central
government, not by local realities

12. Rural vs. urban
 Population size threshold
 Population density
 Contiguity of build-up area
 Proportion of the labor force engaged in non-
agricultural work
 Presence of particular services and activities

13. What is a community
 Spatial definition
 Social group of any size whose members reside in
a specific locality, share government, and may
have a common cultural and historical heritage.
 Social definition
 Social, religious, occupational, or other group
sharing common characteristics or interests and
perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some
respect from the larger society within which it
exists.

14. Communities

15. Urban communities
 Housing and land tenure
 Private sector
 Public housing
 Informal/illegal settlements

16. Urban housing

17. Slums
Year
% of urban population
living in slums
Cambodia 2005 78.9
Indonesia 2007 23.0
Lao PDR 2005 79.3
Philippines 2007 42.3
Thailand 2005 26.0
Vietnam 2007 38.3

18. Slums

19. Urban communities
 Role of money
 Access to services
 Social capital
 Vulnerability, inequality and power

20. Understanding the “urban”
 Cultural context
 Urban as location vs. urban as condition
 Dynamics
 Development strategies
 Globalization