You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Nowadays the way modern society is developing is being shaped by people’s migration to large cities. In what ways is the migration to large cities affecting society? Has this become a positive or negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer
Nowadays, urbanisation has changed people’s lifestyle thoroughly. Those living in suburbs or rural areas have gradually moved into central cities to find better opportunities, not only for a job but for accommodation, better life and advanced facilities. From my point of view, this modification has had more drawbacks to communities.
To begin with, two important reasons have led individuals to select sprawling cities as the best places for living. One is that they are more to find better job positions. Clearly, the branches of many multinational companies are located in large cities than in small cities. For example, a fresh computer graduate living in a small village of the USA is rarely able to find an appropriate career in his place, while by moving and living in Los Angeles, he will be able to apply for IBM, HP, Microsoft or other international corporations. Another benefit is that they can have a better lifestyle. Obviously, urban inhabitants can have more options to inhabit, like living in skyscrapers or luxurious huge mansions which might not be found in suburb areas. The advancement of technology and modernisation are fewer in rural areas than those in the city. Finally factories, industries and other companies also attract labours and blue collar job seekers and that’s another reason many people move to large cities.
This migration trend has changed the social structure and the economy of cities. The cities are expanding faster and the increasing population are also creating many issues that were rare in the past. The huge population from different ethnicity, educational status and religion has created a mixed culture in the cities. Apart from the positive aspects, this mixed culture offers, many social and environmental problems are also being created because of that.
In my view, this change of living condition has had more negative consequences than having more probable advantages. One obvious disadvantage is raising the density of air pollutants in cities. Unfortunately, using more private cars in metropolitan, dwellers are faced numerous heart and lung problems. In particular, had the government of Tehran, the capital of Iran, prohibited migration of rural people there, the rate of morbidity and mortality would have dropped fundamentally since last three decades. According to medical officials’ report, just over 40000 of humans in Tehran died because of air pollution in 2014. Furthermore, traffic congestion has been deteriorated in urban areas. Admittedly, as the population grew, more private cars were to be used, leading traffic loads inflated far considerably and causing people to have more stress. However, controlling of immigration of villagers could reduce traffic jams, and citizens had less tension in their daily life.
To sum up, although displacement of humans into major urban areas has had some credible benefits, its negative influences must not be forgotten. Increasing the density of air emissions and traffic congestion are the two prominent consequences that have jeopardised city dwellers’ lives because of mass immigration.
[ Written by – Rambod ]