Rural industrialization in less developed countries: review and proposed spatial innovation diffusion approach.

Industry is viewed as a viable alternative for rural development in LDC's. However, economic and socio-cultural barriers are barring its introduction. The approaches adopted to overcome these barriers lack the spatial dimension. In order to introduce industry to rural areas in LDC's it must be viewed as a structural-institutional innovation. The proposed diffusion approach to rural industrialization has first to define the relevant rural system as an 'agropolitan district' and take into account 'territorial closure' and 'ruralization without urbanization'. To begin the process and to generate it within that system, the rural settlement structure and hierarchy have to be identified, from which primary locations of introduction of rural industry will be chosen. Generating the process to the rest of the system will be facilitated by an identification of secondary locations of introduction of industry further down the hierarchy.-from Author