Opportunity Knocks? ANU-PIFS Workshop on Regional Dimensions of Urbanisation

Abstract

The Pacific Islands are rapidly becoming more urbanised, with the mounting pressures on infrastructure, services and social relations well documented in recent Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Australian National University (ANU) publications. But the impacts of urban development go far beyond city boundaries — urban ecological footprints, economic multiplier effects and service catchments spill into surrounding regions. At the request of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Secretary General, the ANU and the PIF Secretariat jointly held a workshop in December 2017 on the regional implications of urbanisation, including how countries can together address the challenges and opportunities. This In Brief summarises some of the issues discussed at that workshop by leading experts and elaborates on urban issues covered in the State of the Pacific Regional Report 2017. Show more