Re-Urbanization (Essay Sample)

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Instructor
Course: 21st Century Urbanization
Date
Re-Urbanization: The Role of Resource Scarcity in the Designing of Cities in the Future
Introduction
Many cities have been growing at a magnificent rate in the recent years as evidenced through their development projects and economic status. Consequently, many of these cities have doubled and tripled in size in few decades such that the ratio of people living in the cities has outnumbered those living in the rural areas greatly. Most of the cities nowadays have become the home of many cultural, spiritual, political, financial, economic, and religious activities. Consequently, these factors have led to the great development of the cities since they increase the activities carried out in there. Industrialization is also a very essential factor that leads to the development of many cities currently (Higgins, 2013). These industries include the automotive industries, manufacturing industries and the processing industries situated in these cities. The expansion of cities is clearly visible through its increased initiated development programs, structural development, and their increased population.
Expansion of cities can also be depicted by crowdedness and reduction of space for more development in the region. However, these cities are faced with many challenges in their development process that deter them from expanding and growing. Consequently, the problems have also caused the deterioration of the cities condition financially, economically, and politically. The challenges are a liability to the cities and they include; increased crime rates, reduced currency threats, economic problems, poor project management services, high unemployment rates, many housing and land problems, environmental vulnerability, social-economic problems, and special distribution of individuals. This paper focuses on the challenges facing the suburban lifestyle with respect to scarcity of resources and population growth. It also focuses on identifying the problems that are a major challenge to the development, growth, and expansion of cities, deterring them from achieving utmost success (Higgins, 2013).
Increased crime rates
Statistical researches have noted that there has been an increased criminal activity in most cities all over the world. For example, research proves that the crime rates have steadily increased from the year 1953 to the year 2013 (Higgins, 2013). Criminal activities in the cities include theft, kidnapping, burglary, arms trafficking, corruption activities, domestic violence, arms trafficking, drug trafficking, cybercrimes, rapes among other sexual violence, among other crimes. Drug trafficking involves the sale of illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine, bhang, among others. Additionally, other drugs that are trafficked in the cities include opium and illicit beers. The lower social-economic classes in the cities mainly experience other crimes such as domestic violence (Higgins, 2013). Consequently, these problems are a major cause of reduced growth in the cities since drug abuse leads to reduced economic activities carried out by individuals. People under influence of drugs are not able to perform their duties neither work hard consequently leading to decreased economic growth in the cities. Conclusively, all the criminal activities experienced in the cities, including corruption and cybercrimes lead to reduced growth and expansion since they interfere with the development processes.
Land and housing problems
Land and housing problems have deterred the expansion and growth of cities in most of the countries in the world. The problem is brought about by unavailability of land for growth and expansion for the city. Through research, it has been noted that most of the cities develop due to industrial development in the regions and more people are attracted to settle in these regions. Additionally, cities that have available spaces for development encounter increased growth and expansion since more industries can invest in the area (Nicholas, 2010). Moreover, structural development requires adequate space that ensures that the city can grow steadily after these structures are put in place. Consequently, lack of land for expansion is a major challenge that deters cities from growing and expanding. Poor housing is also a major challenge that leads to reduced growth and expansion of cities. Poor housing includes poor infrastructure and availability of slums in most cities whereby individuals earning poor income live. However, for a city to expand and grow steadily, the slums among other poor infrastructures should be abolished and replaced with modern housing.
Poor project managements
A poor project management system lead to decreased growth and additionally leads to decreased expansion of cities (Nicholas, 2010). Through research, most of the development projects taking place in many cities have poor management systems. Consequently, most of the development projects aimed at improving the conditions of cities fail due to the poor managerial systems. Infrastructures that are not build properly in most cases end up collapsing. Additionally, this can cause the death of many people in case the building collapses unexpectedly. The major problem that leads to poor project management are assigning the wrong people to the jobs that they are not fit handling. Consequently, the individuals do not possess the knowledge required in the development project assigned to them. Additionally, some of the people are qualified to handle development projects but fail to have a strong team behind them hence dooming the project, as their contributions to the businesses are not in line with achieving ultimate success (Nicholas, 2010). Additionally, most of the projects fail to have an executive buy in such that they do not have a skilled individual running the project from the beginning to the end. Another factor that leads to decreased growth and expansion of cities include setting up so many development projects at a go consequently leading to much economical strain. Through research, most of the projects initiated together at the same time fail due to economic straining.
Negative economic factors
Negative economic factors are factors that affect the growth of the business, economy, region, or society. They affect the growth and expansion of many cities since they lead to economic struggles and degradation in the country (Nicholas, 2010). Many countries in the world have been observed to have a stagnant growth in their cities due to the negative economic factors affecting them. The negative economic factors include increased poverty levels among the individuals, increased debts, negative employment status among the people, unfavorable consumer price indexes, among others (Nicholas, 2010). The factors are known to cause a negative economic growth, which in the end, results to decreased growth and expansion of many cities. Most of the cities can develop due to positive economic factors that steer development projects. Favorable economic factors are advantageous since they lead to the development and success of business activities in the region. In the end, all the activities carried in the businesses lead to increased economic status, which in the end leads to structural development and the growth of cities in the region. Therefore, in order to increase the growth and expansion of cities, all the negative economic factors should be avoided and replaced with positive factors.
Weak currency
Once the strength of a currency reduces, the currency’s value deteriorates greatly consequently leading to a poor bargaining power. Cities are negatively affected by the weakness of a currency since it slows down their growth and expansion. Weak currencies also result to slower economic performances in the country as they dictate the economic fortunes in the country. Weak currencies are because of increased inflation in the economy consequently leading to weak economic stability, which in the end leads to decreased developments in the country (Nicholas, 2010). Additionally, the currency gets very weak to the point that it is valueless and consequently cannot lead to any economic development projects in the nation.
Environmental challenges
Environmental challenges are also a major reason most of the cities are not able to expand or grow. In addition, most of the environmental challenges cannot be corrected easily since they are beyond human control. For example, a bad terrain can inhibit a city from expanding since infrastructure cannot be constructed in the region due to the risks involved. Additionally, environmental disasters such as earthquakes cause much destruction to cities since they lead to massive structural damage. The disasters are known to reduce the rate of growth and development in the cities (Nicholas, 2010). Additionally, very few investors agree to invest in cities where the disasters such as earthquakes attack since they fear undergoing much loses. Consequently, most of these cities are not able to expand or grow even after a very long period. As a result, very few investors agree risking by constructing modern buildings that could increase the growth of the city. Additionally, another environmental factor that leads to a decreased growth rate in most cities is draught. Draught causes many negative effects on the agricultural sector in most countries since it leads to ineffective agricultural production. Consequently, reduced agricultural activities in the country have many negative effects since it leads to decreased income by many individuals and the nation. Consequently, industries collapse since there are no input products to keep them running therefore decreasing their productivity, which leads to its failure in the end.
Sparse distribution of individuals
A city with a sparse distribution of individuals in most ...