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Export-led Growth, Gateway Cities and Urban Systems Development in Pre-World War II Southeast Asia

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  • Gregg Huff

Abstract

Between the 1870s and World War II, falls in world shipping costs and Western industrialisation gave rise to export-led Southeast Asian growth and specialisation in a narrow range of primary commodity exports. A linked development was the emergence of a few dominant Southeast Asian urban centres, typically primate and always ports. Drawing on historical census data, this article uses rank-size distributions and transition matrices to investigate the influence of commodity specialisation and exports on urban systems development in the region. It is argued that different commodities produced different spread effects, resulting in variation in degrees of urban concentration in the region. However, geography, path dependence and infrastructure also shaped urban systems development. The main cities that emerged during this period became the ‘gateways’ that connected frontier Southeast Asia to the global economy. Cities dominant in 1939 retain this status in today's Southeast Asia.

Suggested Citation

  • Gregg Huff, 2012. "Export-led Growth, Gateway Cities and Urban Systems Development in Pre-World War II Southeast Asia," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(10), pages 1431-1452, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:48:y:2012:i:10:p:1431-1452
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2012.693171
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    1. Huff,W. G., 1997. "The Economic Growth of Singapore," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521629447.
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    Cited by:

    1. Brata, Aloysius Gunadi, 2017. "Exploring the Influence of Colonial Railways on Java's Economic Geography," MPRA Paper 80097, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Ng, Choy Peng & Law, Teik Hua & Jakarni, Fauzan Mohd & Kulanthayan, S., 2018. "Relative improvements in road mobility as compared to improvements in road accessibility and urban growth: A panel data analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 292-301.
    3. Aloysius Gunadi BRATA, 2021. "The Influence Of Colonial Railways On Java Economic Geography," Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, Research Centre in Public Administration and Public Services, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 16(2), pages 39-54, May.
    4. Gregg Huff & Gillian Huff, 2015. "Urban growth and change in 1940s Southeast Asia," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 68(2), pages 522-547, May.

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