Final answer:
According to sociologists Feagin and Parker (2002), the theme that 'both structure and agency are important in understanding urban development' prevails in political economy models of urban growth. Their model emphasizes the roles of both formal institutions and individual actions in shaping urban spaces.
Step-by-step explanation:
which major theme prevails in political economy models of urban growth according to sociologists Joe R. Feagin and Robert Parker is that both structure and agency are important in understanding how urban development takes place. This theme is reflective of the idea that urban development is influenced by a dynamic between organizational and individual actions.
For Feagin and Parker, structure refers to the formal systems and institutions such as local government that help shape urban growth, while agency pertains to the actions of individuals, including businessmen and activists who can also influence urban development. The interplay between these groups and individuals creates a push-pull dynamic affecting the utilization and regulation of urban land, with middle and upper-class communities often exerting more control and influence.
Contrary to the option that economic factors seldom affect urban growth, the political economy approach emphasizes that economic decisions are integral to the development and character of urban spaces. Furthermore, this approach does not assert that contemporary urban spaces lack use value, nor does it focus solely on ecological processes like invasion and succession from a conflict perspective.