Urban Un-sustainability Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Urban Un-sustainability - Research Paper Example One of the important options is the immigration of people to big cities from the rural areas and from the surrounding suburbs in search of livelihood. This immigration and other factors are initiating urbanization process all over the world. â€Å"Whereas by turn of century almost half of the world’s population is lived in urban areas; it is expected that this figure will reach to 8.1 billion -60.5% of world population- by year 2030.† (Masnavi, 2007). This unavoidable urbanization brings out both benefits and challenges. The phenomenon of urbanization has been making quite a good ‘impression’ on the skylines of many cities all over the world, and on the lives of people living there as well as on the ones who are migrating to there. However, on the other hand, unstable immigration and the resultant urbanization are negatively affecting the migrating people and importantly the natural environment of that urban area. That is, in the urban areas, there are heig htened industrial developments and other developments including the maximal use of automobiles and other energy driven tools. All these ‘developments’ can play a destructive role as well, with various emissions and other byproducts making the urban areas ecologically unsustainable. So, this paper will discuss how today's urban regions are becoming un-sustainable ecologically, focusing on the principal causes of this urban un-sustainability. Urbanization and Sustainability As urbanization involves development of industries and other career options for the people, and also various social and entertainment options, it entices sizable population. It results in immigration of large scale population to the developing or existing urban areas causing 'physical' growth or expansion of natural land into urban areas. This immigration develops those urban areas and positively impacts the people living there including their standard of living, economic status, etc. â€Å"Cities hav e traditionally provided more jobs than rural areas because cities are the sites of industry, economic development, and educational and cultural opportunities.† (Berg, 2006). However, during this process of urbanization, the urban areas kind of becomes ‘hot spots’, as heightened immigration is leading to the establishment of more industries, more vehicles on the road, in total it leads to the establishment of more environment destructive entities and processes. Ironically, the above mentioned destructive or development activities cannot be avoided or stopped, as it has been providing many developments and comforts to all sections of the society particularly in the urban areas. In that case, the most feasible option is carrying out those developmental activities in a sustainable way. Sustainable way or sustainability in the sense, if those developmental activities are carried out taking into consideration various social aspects and importantly environmental aspects for not only the current times but also the future, then it constitutes sustainable way. â€Å"Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations.† (â€Å"What is sustainability?†