Emergence of Rural-Urban Regions in Central Java Province - Indonesia: Analysis, Assessment, and Policy Recommendations

Disparity and inequality have emerged as central issues in regional development realm

which need to be worked out. In the case of Java Island - Indonesia, even though

infrastructures mainly in transportati on and communicati on have already built-up

relati vely evenly compared to other islands in the country, it is in fact not suffi cient

to reduce disparity and inequality among provinces or in each province within the

island. Furthermore, urbanizati on mostly in developing countries leads to the blurring

of the disti ncti on between rural and urban areas. Concerning inequality that leads to

propensity of unbalanced development patt erns as has been taking place in Java Island

including in Central Java Province as one big province in the Island, the emerging

of rural-urban regions are considered to be further examined. Expectedly, further

comprehension regarding the dynamics of these regions would be advantageous to

promote balanced development as well as to enforce the creati on of integrated regional

development policies which are not simply dichotomized rural and urban regions.