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- Urban challenges in a developed country
Urban challenges in a developed country
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Even wealthy cities face big challenges: feeding, powering and moving millions of people, and keeping communities together.
Problems of rapid growth
When cities grow fast they can suffer traffic congestion, overcrowded and inadequate public transport, unemployment, crime and environmental problems such as air pollution and loss of green space.
Resources and waste
Cities need huge amounts of food, energy and water, much of it brought from far away.
They produce large amounts of waste and emissions.
A city's ecological footprint is the area of land needed to supply its resources and absorb its waste; for large cities it is far bigger than the city itself.
They produce large amounts of waste and emissions.
A city's ecological footprint is the area of land needed to supply its resources and absorb its waste; for large cities it is far bigger than the city itself.
Transport and segregation
Transport: congestion wastes time, raises costs and pollutes the air; solutions include public transport, cycling lanes and charging schemes.
Segregation: groups with different incomes or ethnic backgrounds may live in separate areas, which can reflect inequality in housing, jobs and services.
Segregation: groups with different incomes or ethnic backgrounds may live in separate areas, which can reflect inequality in housing, jobs and services.
Explain why a large city's ecological footprint is much bigger than the city itself.
- The city cannot grow all its own food or produce all its energy and water.
- These are brought in from farms, power stations and reservoirs far away.
- Land is also needed to absorb its waste and carbon emissions.
Answer: It depends on resources and waste absorption from a much larger area.
Rapid urban growth brings congestion, poor transport, unemployment, crime and pollution. Cities consume huge amounts of food, energy and water and produce waste, giving large ecological footprints. Transport congestion and social segregation are major challenges in developed cities.
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