For every problem caused by urbanisation there is an effective solution
Rapid urbanisation has caused a variety of problems, including transport congestion, lack of sufficient homes and living conditions, sanitary and health care issues, and crime. For all these problems, city planners have attempted potential solutions, each with varying degrees of success. Cities including London, Manila and Mumbai have several of the aforementioned problems, and have each tried their own potential solutions. This essay will discuss how successful these schemes have been in resolving these issues.
As a result of an increased population inhabiting one area, traffic congestion is often a major issue resulting from urbanisation. In London, traffic is evidently a problem. As it would be expected from a capital city home to more than 8 million people, alongside the 30 million visitors received per year, the London road network is often under tremendous strain. Despite London’s extensive public transport facilities, many still choose to drive their own vehicles around the city. In Mumbai, the road network suffers a similar strain, unable to cope with the millions it carries each day, it suffers from increased journey times, congestion, and air pollution. In London, park and ride schemes, cycle lanes, congestion charging schemes and low emission zones have been introduced to combat the traffic. In terms of its success, an example of immediate impact was the introduction of the congestion charge, reducing the amount of traffic in the heart of the capital by about 15 per cent. However, according to TFL, the reduction has not been sustained. In Mumbai, people have tried using alternative vehicles such as mopeds and scooters, and whilst this helps them to dodge traffic jams, it has only contributed more to the poor air quality caused by emissions. Ultimately, it is clear that not all solutions are effective, but in a wealthier country like the UK, there is a much higher chance of success due to the funding fuelled into these schemes; with time, the schemes may
As a result of an increased population inhabiting one area, traffic congestion is often a major issue resulting from urbanisation. In London, traffic is evidently a problem. As it would be expected from a capital city home to more than 8 million people, alongside the 30 million visitors received per year, the London road network is often under tremendous strain. Despite London’s extensive public transport facilities, many still choose to drive their own vehicles around the city. In Mumbai, the road network suffers a similar strain, unable to cope with the millions it carries each day, it suffers from increased journey times, congestion, and air pollution. In London, park and ride schemes, cycle lanes, congestion charging schemes and low emission zones have been introduced to combat the traffic. In terms of its success, an example of immediate impact was the introduction of the congestion charge, reducing the amount of traffic in the heart of the capital by about 15 per cent. However, according to TFL, the reduction has not been sustained. In Mumbai, people have tried using alternative vehicles such as mopeds and scooters, and whilst this helps them to dodge traffic jams, it has only contributed more to the poor air quality caused by emissions. Ultimately, it is clear that not all solutions are effective, but in a wealthier country like the UK, there is a much higher chance of success due to the funding fuelled into these schemes; with time, the schemes may