Urbanization

The dominant policy decision emphasis on urbanisation problem in developing countries is its rate of growth, ignoring the level of provision of resources, including the infrastructure, to match this growth. It is against this background that the paper undertook a broad analysis of the state of infrastructure in developing countries using such indices as access and quality of water supply, sanitation and solid waste management, to explore how their provision and improvements over time could gradually match the rate of urbanisation. Extensive literature review was adopted for data collection in articles and journals which were analysized using content analysis technique. There is significant proportion of population using unimproved drinking water sources (42%), unimproved sanitation facilities (50%) and without access to designated waste disposal sites (44%). Water, sanitation and hygiene are key to improving health and development. Providing sustainable access to these infrastructures is the most important things that can be done to reduce disease and improve human development.

Today, the issue of urbanization has become a fundamental phenomenon of our time, and consequently, urban research and studies have expanded. However, it should be noted that the city and urbanization, albeit not in their current form, have a very long history. In past religions and faiths, the concept of the city and urban life has had special importance and validity, and especially in the sacred texts of religions, many verses and commandments have been mentioned in connection with this concept. There is no doubt that the approach of holy books in relation to the subject of urbanization plays a decisive role in shaping urban beliefs and thoughts among religious communities; because, these texts are considered the main and fundamental source of religions, and the thoughts and behaviors of followers are rooted in them. The present study addresses this issue and intends, while examining the views of the three great and ancient religions of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity according to their sacred and heavenly books, to analyze their views on urbanization. It also intends to compare the views of these three religions regarding the concept of urbanization. The results of this research show us that the concept of city and urbanization is evident in the heavenly books of all three Abrahamic religions, and many verses and commandments have been mentioned regarding it.

This study examines the reciprocal relationship between urban transformation in Mecca and the constitution of identity in Raja Alem’s contemporary Saudi novel, The Dove's Necklace (2010). While existing scholarship frequently addresses the marginalization of women or the sociocultural erosion resulting from Mecca’s urbanization, it often overlooks the mutually constitutive dynamic between the city and its inhabitants. This paper argues that the rapid redevelopment of Mecca precipitates simultaneous and interconnected transformations in both its physical landscape and its characters’ subjectivities. The analysis employs a chronotopic framework, drawing on Bakhtin’s concept of the chronotope to demonstrate how Mecca’s space and time and the characters' sense of self are intrinsically linked and co-productive. By operationalizing the chronotope within a tangible, physical context, this study addresses a critical gap in literary scholarship. Consequently, it not only elucidates the complexity of Alem’s narrative but also positions The Dove's Necklace within global discourses on urbanization, cultural heritage, and the negotiation of identity, thereby underscoring the significance of contemporary Middle Eastern literature for an international readership.