Ways Poor Urban Development can Create Problems for Future Generations

Cities are viewed as an economic growth catalyst. The socioeconomic development of humans is permanently impacted by the layout and planning of our cities. The data that cities with poor waste management have problems with waste disposal supports this claim. In light of this, cities risk becoming a jumble of issues if they are not planned with everyone’s needs in mind. Instead of being a hub of potential, cities risk becoming this. Unfortunately, cities in developing nations are where challenges like waste management, access to public services, and traffic congestion are most prevalent.

It’s also crucial to note that rural-urban migration is one of the main factors contributing to urban inequality because of inequities in the allocation of resources. In this blog, we have identified the ways poor urban development can ruin the future.

Environmental Hazard 

The biggest danger to the next generation is from environmental risks because of poor planning. Lahore, to name a few, is the most pertinent illustration of how the authorities are oblivious to the rising pollution levels that are making the city unlivable.

The burning of crops is suffocating the environment and bringing the Air Quality Index (AQI) to dangerous levels. The absence of planning for pollution management and providing a suitable replacement for crop burning will have significant effects on future generations.

It’s a relief however that top real estate projects in Lahore and other metropolitan cities are on the outskirts giving future generations a chance to live in a somewhat less polluted area. 

Solid Waste Management Issue 

Similarly to this, Solid Waste Management (SWM) continues to be a problem in many Pakistani cities. From the collection points to the landfills and incinerators, the cities lack proper planning. As a result, cities are turning into disposal sites. 

Due to increasing consumption in the cities and urban expansion, space for dedicated landfills is becoming a significant issue. As a result, the population of cities will not only reside in hazardous areas; somewhat, the boundaries between the cities will also diminish.

No Concern for By-Laws Regulation 

The regulations are one method for putting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into practice in the cities. The laws and ordinances that control the numerous facets of urban life are essential to the development of cities. 

Weak regulations and inefficient planning can create barriers to development, whether the rules and regulations are about construction codes or safeguarding the natural environment within urban centers. The sustainable development agenda could be hampered by weak or inefficient rules, which would negatively affect future generations.

Despite being in short supply, water is a common resource in many cities. Water conservation bylaws have been adopted in many communities throughout the world as a result of the realization that our planet would experience a water crisis. Future generations will suffer if water conservation bylaws are absent from city master plans.

Urban Mobility Issues 

The widespread presence of urban mobility challenges is one of the characteristics of inadequate city planning. The infrastructure of cities encourages the use of motorized cars under poor city designs, which forces the population to use private vehicles. People must utilize their autos because there aren’t enough resources to build up a complete network of public transportation. Urban planners have thought about and analyzed the infrastructure of communities designed for automobiles.

Traffic congestion on roads and highways during rush hours is a sign of inadequate mobility. Future generations will be forced to bear the burden of negative externalities in the form of carbon emissions, pollution, and urban sprawl if business as usual continues and planners fail to recognize that alternative solutions, such as the promotion of non-motorized vehicles as a suitable alternative to resolving the issues of urban mobility, exist.

Lack of Public Spaces 

Cities are designed to offer public areas for recreation, yet poor city designs sometimes leave out the public space component from their master plans. This situation is especially common in cities where civic authorities fail to keep an eye on the rising number of unlawful constructions and housing cooperatives. As a result, the need for public places starts to decline, and interested parties stop thinking about developing areas for recreation or entertainment.

Residents benefit therapeutically from public areas since they can take a break from their daily routine and spend some quality time there.

However, the absence of public places has an indirect effect on children because they are unable to engage in a variety of outdoor activities to develop their problem-solving abilities. The sustainable development agenda can aid in achieving more planned cities, which will benefit our future generations and make our cities more hospitable and livable for them.