The population of many cities is growing rapidly.
What are the effects on people living in these cities? What can be done to maintain the quality of life of these people?
Rapid growth of population is taking place in many cities. While this phenomenon can have certain negative effects, various solutions can also be proposed to maintain the quality of life in cities.
An increasing number of city inhabitants may escalate environmental problems. This growth usually leads to increased private car usage, traffic congestion, and the usage of various products whose ultimate place is landfills, thereby raising greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to already concerning environmental problems in urban areas. In Tashkent city, for example, its population growth in recent years has worsened air quality to the point where people cannot breathe without medical masks, especially in the winter months. This explains why increased city populations can harm the environment and even compound people’s lives in unprecedented ways.
A growth in city populations can place pressure on public infrastructure, which exacerbates the quality of life there. As the number of city inhabitants rises, so does the demand for public goods. This can be particularly seen in public transportation and healthcare systems since these are people’s basic needs in day-to-day life. For instance, in Cairo, Egypt, due to rapid urbanization in recent decades, the city’s population has grown exponentially and put immense strain on public transport, making its inhabitants rely on inadequate and unsatisfactory public transport. This is the reason why overpopulation can affect the quality of public services in a negative way.
To maintain a decent quality of life in cities with growing populations, the government should take measures to control private car use while simultaneously encouraging city inhabitants to use public transport. This would be effective when we consider the fact that traditional cars and their fossil fuel consumption are arguably the main culprits behind the ever-increasing amount of greenhouse gases, and there are several ways to do so. Among many, the most effective one would be the purchase or production of buses and subways and laying dedicated bus roads to ensure that passengers do not face traffic congestion. Restrictive policies and taxes implemented by the Singaporean government would be a great example here. To discourage private car ownership, Singapore imposed taxes and extra fees on using private cars and invested heavily in public transport systems at the same time. This made the country one of the most costly places to have a private car and successfully encouraged the usage of public transport.
Increasing green spaces would be another way of ensuring high living standards in urban areas with growing populations. Green areas can play an important role in improving air quality, especially in urban areas where carbon dioxide is relentlessly released in many ways. This is because such areas can reduce carbon dioxide levels, serving as natural absorbers of carbon dioxide and mitigating air pollution. Additionally, in cities where more and more people have hectic and thereby stressful lifestyles, green spaces, with their tranquil and peaceful atmosphere, can serve as a hub for enjoyment and stress relief. Studies also suggest that people with busy schedules prefer to visit parks or such green spaces to destress and recharge their batteries after a long and tiring workday, showing the vital importance of green areas in urban environments.
In conclusion, issues of deteriorated environmental conditions and increased pressure on public infrastructure can stem from overpopulation in urban areas. To maintain high standards of living, the government can take certain measures such as focusing more on the improvement of public transportation and creating new green spaces. These actions can lessen the burden on public goods and mitigate air pollution prevalent in cities these days.
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