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Earlier theoretical and empirical approaches in development and planning were on the assumption that there is a distinction between rural and urban areas. Both spatial units have been given different emphasis that obscured joint synergy of RUL for poverty reduction and mutual development. The importance of developing the two areas in an integrated manner can no longer be overlooked by development stakeholders. In a globalizing world that is swiftly urbanizing, the need to overcome these dichotomies by including RULs into policy and planning is becoming increasingly self evident. Therefore, this book is written to contribute to the policy debate by empirically identifying the key forces driving RULs along with key emerging issues that need to be addressed. The writer believes that the meticulous univariate, bivariate and multivariate statistical analysis used makes this book unique. The analysis should help shed some light on this new and exciting development approach and should be especially useful to researchers and developmen professionals in economics and marketing or anyone else who may involve in planning and policy formulation.

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Born 1978, Muluadam has received BA degree in Geography and Environmental Studies from Debub University in 2001, BA degree in Accounting and Finance from Addis Ababa University in 2009 and MA degree in Development Studies from Addis Ababa university in 2009. Currently, he is working as a lecturer in University of Gondar, Ethiopia.

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