When people started leaving rural areas for cities with hopes of finding a better life, they probably didn’t expect urbanization to get so out of hand. Now the concrete jungles where dreams were supposedly made of are seen drowning in pollution, trash, traffic, and dystopian dwellings. One could say that the promise of a better life has somehow turned into urban hell.
To show just how really bad things are getting, Bored Panda compiled a list of the worst consequences caused by developing cities shared on the Urban Hell subreddit. Scroll down to find them, and make sure to upvote the ones that made you sad to see the reality we live in.
While you're at it, don't forget to check out a conversation with urban planner Andy Boenau, who kindly agreed to tell us how we can reverse the damage to urban environments.
#21 People Offering Prayers At River Yamuna, India, Which Is Frothing From Industrial Waste
Report
36points
“It's true that state departments of transportation have a funding formula that favors junk infrastructure, but everything starts with local land use restrictions. The path to healthy infrastructure begins by persuading local leaders to reform the major obstacles of zoning and parking mandates,” he further explains.
“The vast majority of local governments in the US outlaw things like having a single-family home, a duplex, a dentist office, and a market on the same street. Legalize a built environment that fits who we are as people,” Boenau urged.
#25 Magnitogorsk, One Of The Worst Polluted Cities In Russia. Only 28% Of The Children Born In The Town Are Fully Healthy
Report
31points
