Today, many big cities in the world are increasing in size. What are the problems associated with it? What are the solutions to these problems?

Urban expansion can be seen in many parts of the globe these days.

This

phenomenon is sure to give rise to more problems unless prevented by a set of countermeasures. The most immediate effect of growth in the size of

cities

will perhaps be

space

shortage and a resultant hike in the cost of living. As more and more people migrate to urban areas, there will be less

space

available.

This

,

as a result

, makes

space

a scarce and expensive commodity. One practical solution to

this

issue is building upward. Building high-rise buildings has been a common practice in many metropolitan

cities

in response to the growing demand for

space

from the influx of urban migrants.

This

solution works well since more people can be fit at a relatively small cost of land. On top of that, growing

cities

tend to be difficult to manage. More people means more legislation and surveillance to keep

cities

safe and favourable places to live in.

This

would, certainly, require additional funding at the expense of urban dwellers, who would rather see their tax money be spent on more pressing matters like critical infrastructure. One way to address

this

possibility is to implement stricter migration laws. More specifically, the number of incoming migrants should be capped so that urban population size can be kept at manageable levels.

Finally

, the environment is harmed in the long run

as a result

of urban sprawl. Most

cities

are predominantly powered by fossil fuel, which has long been proven to be detrimental to our natural surroundings of its contaminating properties. As

such

, the consumption of fossil-based fuels is likely to compound with city growth, and so is the damage caused to the environment. The solution here would be banning personal vehicles on certain days in combination with more frequent use of public transport. Taking it a step

further

, green spaces should be created in urban quarters to alleviate the environmental damage. In conclusion, while there are many problems stemming from urban growth, solutions range from the construction of more skyscrapers to environmentally-conscious measures

such

as restricting car use in

cities

and creating green spaces.