Problems of Cities in 21st Century

317 Words2 Pages
Topic: What are the key problems facing the world’s cities in the 21st century, and what can be done about them? The 21st century is proved to be the era of urbanization when cities grows larger and more and more people move to urban areas in an attempt to enjoy a better life. This new urban millennium, however, poses numerous threats to the world’s cities nowadays. Two of the most conspicuous problems facing the city dwellers are overpopulation and pollution. Along with the accelerated development of urbanization, cities are now defined as the areas with high densities of populations. Overpopulation is said to be the key principle of numerous thorny issues related to social evils, traffic jams, unemployment or environmental pollution. At the same time, increase in the population density also poses a heavy additional burden on the cities’ infrastructure. Overpopulation, therefore, is not only a burning but also hard-to-solve urbanization-related problem. In the attempt to tackle this issue, governmental authorities should provide funds for possible improvements of the city’s infrastructure. In the long run, government is recommended to reduce the amount of residents per city by enlarging the urbanized areas or imposing a quota on city residences. Environmental pollution is the second major key issue of urbanization. The world’s cities in the 21st century are the places feeling the deepest impact of pollution. Pollution influences human health, disrupts the ecological balance, invites natural disaster and depletes the limited natural resources. To troubleshoot this alarming issue, government should enact a strict environmental law which prevents residents from polluting the environment. Simultaneously, programs to protect environments should be encouraged. Finally, education program instructing residents’ attitudes and behaviors is
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