Medium-sized Towns in Bolivia - CEPAD

The term “medium-sized towns” is used to describe urban areas that have so far been defined only in terms of their population. Their development has not been planned in a way that would enhance social cohesion and enable them to become dynamic “hubs” that provide the same kind of services and facilities as a large city and influence the development of smaller towns and rural communities in the surrounding area.

The basis for enabling these medium-sized towns to become hubs is to identify and understand what these benchmarks are and their importance for decision-making on production and migration issues. The Participation and Sustainable Human Development Center (CEPAD) has therefore developed a methodology for assessing and classifying Bolivia's medium-sized towns, with the aim of identifying each municipality's strengths, weaknesses and potential by analyzing five areas of interest: the economy, institution-building, gender, youth, the environment and tourism. This information is key for town planning and development and for attracting private investment. To date, the methodology developed has been implemented for 25 Intermediate Cities by the Observatory.