URBANIZATION AND POPULATION

Urbanization and Population

Urbanization and Population

Life in a Rural Area and a Big City

City life is busy and rushed. It is very common to see a family where both parents are working full-time jobs, and trying to balance it with family time. Stress is a large problem in the city where adults are feeling the pressure of their jobs, which are screaming at them to succeed, and children are feeling the pressure of school and growing up. On the other hand, rural life is much more relaxed. It has a peaceful atmosphere where families can come together and have fun (Harry, 2005).

Problems Created By Urbanization and the Solutions

Several problems have resulted in the wake of urbanization.

Environmental Issues

The environment has taken a massive hit in highly populated areas. Trees are cut down, and land is cleared for continual development as cities grow. Water, air and sewers are increasingly polluted due to the record number of people in smaller spaces. Cities are becoming warmer with the lack of soil and vegetation, and carbon monoxide emissions intensify. Although some cities value, and attempt to save their green space, there is not enough of it to counter the environmental issues that urbanization brings.

Overcrowding

An obvious concern of urbanization is overcrowding and lack of housing. The more people move into cities, the more housing needs to be built, and the more services need to be maintained and available. When space runs out, prices go up, and economic problems follow. Additionally, the more people in any given city, the fewer jobs that the city will have. The gap between rich and poor grows, and poverty takes root.

Crime

When populations increase, crimes naturally increase. Urbanization leads to poorer conditions for some people. Families are forced to live in unappealing areas as prices rise and race tensions intermingle. Without economic security and amid substandard living conditions, crime is inevitable. Additionally, some believe that urbanization immediately leads to criminality, as people are shaped by their environment. Thus, if they live in crime-ridden areas, they are more likely to commit crimes. This spreads from each generation to the next (Joseph and Proctor, 2003).

Rural Problems

As people make a mass exodus of rural areas, these towns are left with dwindling populations. Thus, urbanization negatively affects rural communities as much as it affects urban areas. Towns left in the dust often struggle to keep community services; educational opportunities disappear and towns become dilapidated and unattractive to future generations. Those who once worked in factories and on farms who resist moving into the city live in poor conditions because of lack of work. Crime rises. Those farm jobs that are left, are usually taken by immigrants willing to do work for less pay. The demographics of these rural areas change forever.

Problems in the Cities of the Less-Developed Countries and the Industrialized Nations

As more people leave the rural areas for cities, urban growth results creating side effects like pressure on available space and facility, increase in traffic, social insecurity, unemployment, drain on local resources, health and ...