Super-sized metropolises leave residents worn out

• Source: Global Times
• [22:56 September 08 2010]
• Comments

The growing population will also create an unbelievable amount of trash. Data shows that, the waste output of Beijing has been increasing at an annual rate of 8 percent in recent years, and it is expected to reach 11.52 million tons in 2015 when all existing landfill sites of Beijing will be fully filled. It is hard to imagine how big the garbage problem will be if the urban population reaches 50 million.

In the fierce competition for resources, more and more people will become extremely intense and anxious. Over-population will definitely increase the intensity of the urban rat race.

In super-large cities, the distances people forced to commute will make them physically and mentally fatigued, resulting in severe decline in the quality of life. They will only want money, losing the value of other things.

Technological development may be able to solve the lack of resources and environmental problems. However, creating good conditions for the public may not rely on technology. If people cannot manage the pressure of living in gigantic cities, there are still choices at present.

The government can encourage the development of regions around key cities by appropriately allocating resources. Taking Beijing's population pressure as an example, we can create a multi-city development pattern by linking Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province together to form a balanced developing city group.

Active methods can be adopted to achieve population streaming and to gradually get rid of the pattern where the city simply grows around the centre. Nationwide, modern city groups can be fostered by the application of appropriate industrial development, preferential tax policies, supportive offices and facilities, good employment and living environment in order to promote fair and balanced city development. Only in this way can we avoid creating bloated super-giants.

The author is the deputy director of the Public Opinion Research Institute of Communication University of China. forum@globaltimes.com.cn