Urbanization is a global trend and has largely been a positive force for economic growth,
poverty reduction and human development. Urbanization is understood as a population shift
from rural to urban areas, it is the gradual increase in the proportion of people living in urban
areas and the ways in which each society adapts to the change. It is predominantly the
process by which towns and cities are formed and become larger as more people begin living
and working in urban areas. The National Library of Medicine defines urbanization as ” the population shift from rural areas to urban areas, the decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and how each society adapts to this change”. Urbanization is also looked at as a process by which towns and cities are formed. Cities are important drivers of development and poverty reduction in both urban and rural areas because they are places where entrepreneurship, technological innovation and other economic activity can flourish. Uganda is currently experiencing rapid urbanization estimated at 20% and by 2050 and will be among the most urbanized countries in Africa. In Uganda, urbanization has been looked at a prerequisite for the country to achieve upper-middle-income status as part of achieving Vision 2040.
