URBAN TRANSFORMATION

People have lived together in settlements since ancient times. These settlements used to be rural communities. Now they are big cities and are called urban environments. Urbanization became a growing trend after the industrial revolution and now there are big megacities. It is predicted that by 2050 most people will be living in cities. This urban transformation has some important advantages and disadvantages.

Urbanization is good for communities in terms facilities and amenities as well as services. Firstly, the facilities and amenities provided by municipalities are much better in big cities. Every district gets running water and electricity. Districts are linked by an efficient transport system. Rubbish is collected and access to goods is easy and quick. Amenities like parks, playing fields, swimming pools and various cultural activities are provided in cities. People can go to the cinema, theatre or to concerts. They can lead a good life and enjoy themselves. Secondly the services provided in cities are much better. There are schools in every district and children don’t have to travel miles to get there. The quality of teaching is good. Children are prepared well for the future. Another service is healthcare. If people get ill, they can access hospitals, doctors and chemists. This is a big advantage. In short, there are many upsides to living in cities.

Urbanization is bad for communities in some respects too. Firstly, all these people living together means that there is a lot of pollution. The air is polluted by traffic, factories and homes. The water is polluted by waste from factories and homes. Noise and light pollution are chronic problems. In short, cities are dirty places. The reason that they are dirty is overcrowding and this is the second problem. Living on top of each other means people live in apartments. They don’t know each other and they don’t support and help each other. Everybody leaves for work at the same time. This means there is a lot of traffic and public transport is full. Schools are crowded; parks and gardens are full of people and there is a lot of noise everywhere. This goes on 24/7. The city never sleeps. In short, living in the city is not all it is cracked up to be.

In conclusion, many factors determine where people live. These are family connections, job opportunities and the like. Every place has its downsides and upsides. People should learn to deal with them. Cities are no different. The choice of whether or not to live in cities is a personal one