African Entrepreneurship Record-Chapter 714 - 18 Urbanization

The formation of the Dragoons was to respond to potential wars in the south and improve the mobility of the army to support the infantry at any time.

The reason for choosing South Prussia Province was also a helpless move because the large-scale horse breeding areas in East Africa were in the northern pastures, South Prussia Province, and Eastern Province.

The conditions in the south aren't bad, but starting from scratch is a process, and currently, only this region in East Africa has completed this process. The livestock industry in other regions is either too small in scale or just beginning.

...

First Town.

With the preparation for war unfolding, a large amount of funds was invested in the military aspect, and this preparation work occupied substantial administrative, transportation, and economic resources.

Therefore, Ernst held an economic conference in First Town to discuss the development issues of various regions in East Africa during the war preparation period.

"What is urbanization? Urbanization is also called townization, where the population gathers in urban areas. Urbanization development must rely on industry concentration. Without industrialization, urbanization cannot progress, and in this stage, industry specifically refers to industrialization."

"So for East Africa now, industrialization is urbanization. Currently, East African industry is driven by the government. Local officials should not be timid. They must integrate location advantages and rationally and scientifically plan cities."

"Do not aim too high. For example, seeing the development of Dar es Salaam and Mombasa, you might want your city to instantaneously become prominent. You should consider if your city's geographic conditions can reach the importance of these two cities!"

"Take New Frankfurt as an example; it is a hub of the Central Railway, an inland center of East Africa, radiating nationwide, and close to sources of industrial raw materials, allowing for resource gathering; this is the foundation for New Frankfurt's development."

"However, New Frankfurt's disadvantages include a lack of infrastructure, population, and industries, weak industrial and agricultural bases, all of which need to be resolved progressively by the New Frankfurt government, or else it won't develop even in thirty years."

"Some provincial capitals should also avoid monopolization aspirations. For example, in Highland Province, everyone knows the provincial capital is Dodoma, but the top economic city is Mwanza. Why did Mwanza become the top city economically in Highland Province? The reasons are many."

"But the more important reason isn't that Mwanza's conditions are particularly superior, but because of Dodoma's shortcomings. Dodoma is more restricted in terms of terrain than Mwanza and has less rainfall, so it can't compare with Mwanza agriculturally. Transportation is Dodoma's advantage, but Mwanza has Great Lake shipping and railway transportation, with a development history not later than Dodoma."

"Of course, these remarks aren't to limit Dodoma's development but to encourage Dodoma to focus more efforts on its strengths, just like how First Town, as the capital, isn't as economically developed as Dar es Salaam. Different distributions have no grounds for reproach; would you 'mock' First Town for having an economy inferior to Dar es Salaam?"

"Each place has its own characteristics and specialties. Adapting to local conditions and scientific development is the proper path, just like how corn grows well in tropical and temperate regions, but insisting on planting it in the cold regions of Russia would yield nothing."

Who would plant corn in cold regions? This thought was shared among the attendees, but through such a simple joke, the Crown Prince helped everyone understand the core of this meeting: to develop advantageous industries and adapt to local conditions.

"Of course, the waste in finances over the years is also a major issue. Don't blindly copy urban development templates. Although our country is mostly characterized by highland terrain, each city has its characteristics such as mineral distribution, fields, pastures, river layouts, and population characteristics. Do not pursue 'big is good' indiscriminately."

"Many small towns in Europe have developed well economically by combining their characteristics, a typical example being the Ruhr area. However, the Ruhr area's problems are severe, ignored due to a focus on economic interests. I hope we don't repeat such a mistake during our development."

"The two technological revolutions gave human society a feeling of triumph over nature, but harmonious coexistence and common development with nature do not conflict. It's not about hindering efficiency but avoiding mistakes and emphasizing 'scientific' and 'reasonable' approaches."

"Due to rising military expenditures and other reasons, the Central Government's demands on subordinate governments naturally need to be lowered. For example, the urbanization rate should reach thirty percent by 1890 under normal development. We will adjust this target to about twenty-eight percent."

"If calculated based on the 1880 population data, with thirty million citizens, statistics show sixty to seventy thousand people, but now it should be more, possibly a million people unable to live in urban areas."

"Currently, East Africa's urbanization rate should be around twenty-six percent; if including Black people, it might only reach teenage levels. Therefore, our real urbanization rate is very low; Germany and Britain are over forty percent. The gap between us and them is huge, of course. Relying on our economic scale has led to a city's big development, especially since introducing industry in the seventies."

The economic achievements of East Africa, akin to the South African white rule era prior, the hard work of Black people is self-evident, but all credit falls onto white people. However, adding Black people in paints a different picture.

Of course, there are essential differences. East African citizens' numbers aren't less than Black people, even exceeding by more than ten million, so the main achievements in East Africa's economy are indeed created by citizens, a fact beyond doubt.

"Western provinces should absorb the experiences of the eastern regions. The 'natives' in the west still have much potential to harness; this is a resource you can utilize. Thus, in some low-tech, labor-intensive work, Black people can complete it while the east can exchange food and other materials to support western construction."

Utilizing administrative means to complete resource allocation is one of the core methods of East African economic development. With international grain prices currently low, finding places for consumption is essential, and ideally, these consumptions should turn into tangible benefits, not like capitalists pouring milk into rivers."

The demand in West Africa is still considerable compared to the east, which lacks almost everything. Thus, skewing excess production from the east towards the west can accomplish a leap in West African economy.

Moreover, East Africa's annual steady output of Black people guarantees future space for immigrant settlement work, achieving multiple goals at once.

The most typical example is railway construction; the primary workforce for railway construction in East Africa is Black people. Their sweat and toil built the railways, creating numerous job positions, which are then filled by East African citizens.

Positions required for railway construction are undoubtedly the most numerous, yet also the most massive and dangerous, handing such hazardous heavy labor to Black people. East Africa doesn't worry about 'compensation,' 'work injuries,' 'deaths,' etc.