Issues in Cities Are the Same Across the World

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Issues are views or concerns that people may hold about a feature or event which may be beneficial or problematic. Examples of urban issues are crime, pollution and overpopulation. Overpopulation is an issue which is rapidly affecting cities across the globe, and can have a detrimental impact on urban areas. Hyper-urbanisation is a problem which can stem from this. This is caused when a city’s population increases at a faster rate than the growth of economic and industrial development, which results in a strain on resources. This is a problem which has greatly affected Sao Paulo. The population of Sao Paulo has doubled from 6 million in 1970 to nearly 12 million today, with a current population density of 9000 people per square kilometre. As a result of this vast increase in population, the city is unable to support its entire population, leading to the development of favelas. Favelas, known as slums in other parts of the world, are generally in very poor condition, with no water supply, plumbing or electricity. Spread of disease is common and often unavoidable, with poor sanitation putting the areas at risk to infestations from rats, for example. Overpopulation affects developed countries, as well as those which are developing. Portsmouth, a city in the Uk, is a prime example of this. Portsmouth has the highest population density of any city in Europe, estimated at 5100 people per square mile. This presents a number of problems for the city. Lack of space is a major one, and with minimal space available for construction of properties, the cost of housing is on the increase. This poses problems for low income families, who will struggle to afford to live close to the CBD. Congestion is another problem which has stemmed from overpopulation Portsmouth is a middle upper income area, and as a result the majority of the population own a car, giving Portsmouth

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