More and more people are migrating to cities in search of a better life, but city life can be extremely difficult. Explain some of the difficulties of living in a city. How can these problems be tackled?

Love cities or loathe them, urban populations are booming like never before, which is leading to serious problems among city dwellers, particularly in terms of cost of living and transportation. In

this

essay, I will examine these issues and propose some measures that can be taken to overcome them. Urbanites are facing two major challenges in their daily lives. The

first

is the soaring cost of living. Young people,

for instance

, are priced out of the housing market, meaning they cannot afford basic shelter and may be forced into slums or

shanty towns

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shantytowns

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. The price of public transport, food and entertainment

is

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are

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also

extortionate, putting relentless pressure on workers to earn more. The difficulty of getting from A to B is the other main issue. Not only is the daily commute slow, stressful and often dangerous, but the number of private vehicles on the roads means higher emissions and worsening air quality.

This

can have dire consequences for urban dwellers’ health. As people continue to be enticed into the city by the lure of opportunity, steps must be taken to manage these problems. The most obvious solution involves investment by the government. If the state provided better welfare and access to affordable housing, fewer people would be in crisis or facing homelessness. The other longer-term solution could be to encourage the relocation of businesses, industry and individuals outside the city. With careful town planning and adequate funding of infrastructure and public services, regional hubs could offer all the convenience of large cities without

the

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apply

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prohibitive prices and pressure.

Such

is the case in towns like Bendigo and Ballarat outside Melbourne, both thriving mini-cities these days. In conclusion, urbanisation is the defining phenomenon of

this

time but it comes at a high price. In order to deal with issues of poverty, overcrowding and pollution, action must be taken without delay.