When people started leaving rural areas for cities with hopes of finding a better life, they probably didn’t expect urbanization to get so out of hand. Now the concrete jungles where dreams were supposedly made of are seen drowning in pollution, trash, traffic, and dystopian dwellings. One could say that the promise of a better life has somehow turned into urban hell.
To show just how really bad things are getting, Bored Panda compiled a list of the worst consequences caused by developing cities shared on the Urban Hell subreddit. Scroll down to find them, and make sure to upvote the ones that made you sad to see the reality we live in.
#1 The Annual Monsoon Ritual Of Mumbai's Ocean Giving Back What Has Been Dumped In It
Image credits: 93arkhanov93
#2 Mumbai, India
Image credits: yehbikgayehaigormint
#3 Urban Art In Belgrade
Image credits: okami_shinobi003
It’s predicted that 68% of the world's population will live in urban areas by 2050. While cities offer jobs and prosperity, among other alluring things, their growth doesn’t come without a cost. One of the most pressing issues that urban populations face is environmental degradation.
#4 Beirut Port
Image credits: Gordn_Ramsay
#5 Hong Kong
Image credits: QAFY
#6 Not A Very Romantic Scene
Image credits: lazybong
When people move to urban areas in large numbers, which is known as urbanization, it results in urban sprawl. This means that the population of cities becomes dispersed in a large geographical area, which takes up the land formerly occupied by forests, wetlands, or agriculture. Urban sprawl leads to less biodiversity as species are losing their habitats, with some going extinct.
#7 A Boy Gathers Recyclable Items From A Semi-Dry Drain, At Taimoor Nagar In New Delhi
Image credits: ParaMike46
#8 Ah Yes, Trees
Image credits: MAAAS399
#9 Uae Nad Al Sheba III Neighborhood
Image credits: DrFetusRN
The loss of nature and green spaces creates the “heat island effect,” where urban areas get significantly hotter than the countryside. As a result, disasters like heatwaves, droughts, and fires are becoming more common, causing health and water supply problems. Higher temperatures can increase the risk of sunstroke, heatstroke, and respiratory problems in inhabitants. Lack of parks, plant life, and water features can also negatively affect city dweller’s mental health.
#10 Electrical Wiring And Water Pipes In A Brazilian Favela
Image credits: justuniqueusername
#11 This Is The Most Apocalyptic Image Of Modern Cairo, Egypt, I Have Ever Seen Anyone Take
Image credits: bobmguthrie
#12 New Delhi - During Lockdown vs. Now
Image credits: naughty_ningen
Additionally, dense populations produce infinite amounts of pollution, contaminating air, water, and soil. This can have dire consequences for people’s health, as harmful particles in the atmosphere can cause respiratory infections, heart disease, and even cancer. In overpopulated cities like Tokyo, Beijing, and Mexico City, inhabitants have to wear masks to protect themselves from the polluted air.
#13 People Offering Prayers At River Yamuna, India, Which Is Frothing From Industrial Waste
Image credits: excitedrod
#14 Cairo, Egypt
Image credits: biwook
#15 San Francisco, USA
Image credits: Sayl0
All of this sounds like a script from a dystopian movie but sadly, this is our very real reality. However, the good news is that urban populations can improve, says urban planner Andy Boenau to Bored Panda.
#16 Naples, Italy
Image credits: biwook
#17 Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong. Comparison Of 1964 - 2016
Image credits: polysabu
#18 Johannesburg, South Africa
Image credits: Intricate1779
“Two key things should give any person hope for the future: (1) a basic understanding of how local land use and transportation decisions are made, which will give (2) a blueprint for changing the built environment to fit who we are as humans,” he explained.
#19 Private Houses On The Roof Of An Eight-Story Mall In Zhūzhōu, China
Image credits: adamlm
#20 Literally, Just Thanksgiving Traffic In La
Image credits: WhiteMos
#21 Residential Building In Hong Kong, Shot By Me On 35mm Film
Image credits: dredogue
“It's true that state departments of transportation have a funding formula that favors junk infrastructure, but everything starts with local land use restrictions. The path to healthy infrastructure begins by persuading local leaders to reform the major obstacles of zoning and parking mandates,” he further explains.
#22 Hong Kong Street Life
Image credits: DrFetusRN
#23 People Living Next To A Helicoidal Street In Chongqing
Image credits: biwook
#24 Magnitogorsk, One Of The Worst Polluted Cities In Russia. Only 28% Of The Children Born In The Town Are Fully Healthy
Image credits: Travel_legend
“The vast majority of local governments in the US outlaw things like having a single-family home, a duplex, a dentist office, and a market on the same street. Legalize a built environment that fits who we are as people,” Boenau urged.
#25 Inequality In Tembisa, South Africa
Image credits: PTRMT
#26 "Lying Skyscraper" In Moscow. About 736m Long
Image credits: wicnfuai
#27 Dhaka, Bangladesh
Image credits: biwook
#28 Las Vegas’s Underground Homeless
Image credits: colapepsikinnie
#29 Chinese Ghost Town Of Mansions Reclaimed By Farmers
Image credits: sacrecoeur1206
#30 Jalousie Neighborhood In Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
Image credits: _cool2
#31 Temirtau, Kazakhstan
Image credits: BaronVonBroccoli
#32 Burj Al Babas, Turkey (The Largest Ghost Town In The World)
Image credits: 8_Hoot
#33 Hong Kong's Dismal Cage Homes House Thousands Of People
Image credits: elt0p0
#34 Contrary To Popular Belief, The Belgian Coast's Real Estate Did Survive To The Two World Wars. Its Cultural Heritage Was Destroyed By Real Estate Developers' Greed And Public Officials' Lack Of Care
Image credits: Ghaenor
#35 Bolton, England
Image credits: latenightdrive97
#36 An Interesting Perspective I've Stumbled Upon In Macau A Year Ago
Image credits: diejesus
#37 Ferentari, The Poorest Area Of Bucharest, Romania - Most Apartments Are Squatted And Have No Electricity, Hard To Believe This Is In The European Union
Image credits: biwook
#38 This Beautiful View From My NYC Apartment
Image credits: SlenderFinger
#39 16th Century Mill Surrounded By Brand New Concrete In Seaside Bulgaria
Image credits: proBICEPS
#40 Infinite Amount Of Concrete…
Image credits: dslrhunter25
#41 Agbobloshie (Ghana) This Suburb Of Accra Is Western Europe's Preferred Dumping Ground For Electronic Waste. Population Affected: +40,000
Image credits: AkaGurGor
#42 Mirny, Yakutia, Russia
Image credits: BigDigDigBig23
#43 Anti-Homeless Spikes In Guangzhou, China
Image credits: ManbadFerrara
#44 Petare, Venezuela
Image credits: antoine_montt
#45 Town Square In Bartoszyce (Poland) Before And After
Image credits: slopeclimber
#46 Disgusting Canal Near My Home In Manila. I Wish People Just Would Bother To Care How Our Environment Is Dying Fast
Image credits: AgentFive005
#47 Las Vegas
Image credits: Zealousideal_Ad4636
#48 Light Pollution By A Single Building In Mumbai (It Was 1 Am When This Pic Was Taken)
Image credits: MotiGay
#49 The Border Between The Brazilian City Of "Manaus" And The Amazon Rainforest
Image credits: BulkaZmaslem
#50 Polluted Haze Above Dubai
Image credits: fischbroetchen22
#51 The Ponds, A Suburb In Sydney. Packed In Like Sardines
Image credits: Sort_of_Frightening
#52 Mumbai, India
Image credits: BaronVonBroccoli
#53 Night In Tokyo, Japan 🇯🇵
Image credits: Fun-Explanation1199
#54 South Bronx, New York City (1980s). Genuine Smiles Despite All That’s Around Them
Image credits: YoungCeaser3
#55 It's Baffling How Fast It Changes
Image credits: ilovebravebrowser
#56 Norilsk, Russia
Image credits: carlelov
#57 There's Cities, There's Metropolises, And Then There's Tokyo
Image credits: madrid987
#58 Saint Petersburg, Russia
Image credits: xtremeshaneshame
#59 Do Not Show Partiality To The Poor Or Favoritism To The Great, But Judge Your Neighbor Fairly
Image credits: cwood1973
#60 Why Does Delhi Looks So Dystopian
Image credits: im_dead_inside_69
#61 Christmas In Grimsby City Centre, UK
Image credits: MichaelT1991
#62 Covering The Slums With Green Walls
Image credits: Immediate-Tank-9565
#63 The City Of Belem Is Tearing Down A Forest Park To Build A Highway For The United Nations Climate Change Conference
Image credits: broadway_beer
#64 Hyesan. North Korea
Image credits: Double_Usual3271
#65 Hotel In Łodz, Poland
Image credits: tanmayp63
#66 Before And After A Desert Is Turned Into A Soulless Suburb Of A Desert. Jk, Its A Single Photo Of Arizona
Image credits: TownPro
#67 The Flag Of Urban Hell
Image credits: thefridgeinthegarage
#68 Huntington Beach, California, During The Oil Boom Of 1928
Image credits: RareGentleman
#69 The Before And The After Of My Hometown, Hungary
Image credits: Cathfaern
#70 One Of My Most Hated Buildings Finally Got Destroyed And Replaced By Something Beautiful
Image credits: videki_man
#71 50 Lane Traffic Jam - China
Image credits: MichaelT1991
#72 Lagos, Nigeria - The Overcrowding Is Terrible
Image credits: rickrucksack
#73 Egypt, What Is Wrong With You?
Image credits: vd772
#74 "Ocean Access" + Suburbs In Florida
Image credits: The_Will_Here
#75 Dadaab In Kenya. World's Largest Refugee Camp. Stretches Over 20 Miles
Image credits: Sea-Initiative473
#76 Mansion On Top Of Building In Bangalore. Dear God
Image credits: spinafrekejo
#77 The Neue Elbbrücke Bridge In Hamburg. The Original Design Was Completed In 1887 And Featured Two Wonderful Gothic Gateways, Torn Down In 1959 To Add An Additional Lane
Image credits: milktanksadmirer
#78 The "Other Side" Of The Pyramids Of Giza
Image credits: kahrabaaa
#79 Trash Next To La Saline Market, Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
Image credits: biwook
#80 Somewhere Along The Karachi Circular Railway, Pakistan
Image credits: [deleted]
#81 A Concrete Jungle Somewhere In China
Image credits: Papppi-56
#82 Near The Flea Market, Marseilles, France
Image credits: ManoOccultis
#83 An Empty 20 Lane Highway In Naypyidav, Myanmar
Image credits: Milek9608
#84 Macau
Image credits: FishMonkeyCow
#85 Guangzhou Aerial
Image credits: tanmaypendse63
#86 Intersection Of Two Avenues In Sao Paulo, Brazil
Image credits: RAEL_ATK
#87 Newly Built Housing. Samara, Russia
Image credits: Eth_kay
#88 The Problem There Are Still People Living In Such Buildings!
Image credits: somo1230
#89 Skopje, North Macedonia. Consistently One Of The Most Polluted (Air Quality) Cities In Europe
Image credits: Endure23
#90 Liebian Building - A 121-Meter Skyscraper With A Waterfall In The City Of Guiyang, China's Guizhou Province
Image credits: volossaveroniki
#91 Los Angeles Is Also A Concrete Jungle
Image credits: Upnorth4
#92 Garbage In A Canal, Basrah, Iraq
Image credits: biwook
#93 Income Inequality In Mumbai, India
Image credits: kalid34
#94 Los Angeles, From Above
Image credits: HowDidYouKillMe
#95 Main And Delaware Street, Kansas City
Image credits: Kuzu9
#96 Mumbai, India
Image credits: Epsilon-Phoenix
#97 Postman On His Kowloon Route, 1989
Image credits: Sort_of_Frightening
#98 Outskirts Of Mexico City
Image credits: ReflexPoint
#99 Welcome To Texas
Image credits: New023
#100 18000 People In A Single Building. (Saint Petersburg, Russia)
Image credits: ValdemarAtterdag83
#101 View From The Bathroom Window, Belgrade
Image credits: longwaytotokyo
#102 Delhi, India
Image credits: milktanksadmirer
#103 Homeless In Phoenix, Arizona - The Hottest City In The USA
Image credits: iamayeshaerotica
#104 Come Enjoy The Lovely Beach In Alexandria, Egypt!
Image credits: Endure23
#105 This Elementary School In Ohio Can Only Be Reached By Car - It Might Be Normal For Us For Is An Abomination By European / Asian Standards
Image credits: biwook
#106 Smog At The River In New Delhi - No, That Is Not Ice On The Water
Image credits: jeandolly
#107 Milano, Italy
Image credits: schiantoRG
#108 The Michigan Theater In Detroit. Closed In 1976 And Gutted To Put A 3 Story Parking Garage Inside. Many Remnants Of It Remain
Image credits: Newgate1996
#109 Let Me Introduce You To My Hometown Of Duisburg In Germany
Image credits: Fourtyseven249
#110 Island Heat Effect ✨
Image credits: nyorkkk
#111 Mesa, Arizona, USA
Image credits: iamayeshaerotica
#112 Cairo, Egypt
Image credits: True_Smile3261
#113 Spaghetti Junction In Kl, Malaysia
Image credits: Cultural_Skin_1276
#114 A Street In Mansoura, Egypt, With All The Signs For Doctors’ Offices
Image credits: Ok-Doctor-2238
#115 60% Of The Things Posted Here Are Far From Being Ugly Or Urban Hell. It Seems That The Notion Of Urban Hell Varies Greatly Between People. This Is Urban Hell
Image credits: CoffyGirl
#116 Norilsk, Russia
Image credits: bclx99
#117 Concrete Canyon In Manhattan
Image credits: Sea_Marionberry2231
#118 New Residential Block In Malaysia
Image credits: userfromouterspace
#119 Built Up Tunnel In Napoli
Image credits: longwaytotokyo
#120 One Of My Favorite Pictures Of Macau. Hotel Grand Lisboa In The Background
Image credits: Thossi99
#121 Chongqing, China
Image credits: slavabien
#122 I’m In Chongqing At The Moment…
Image credits: AdEffective1222
#123 Cape Town, South Africa. One Of The Richest Cities On The Continent
Image credits: Ill_Information75
#124 Guangzhou
Image credits: resxll
#125 A Tree Fighting For Its Life In Hong Kong
Image credits: altoids7667
#126 (Oc) Hebron’s Multi-Story Borders: Ground-Level Palestinians Construct Fences Above Their Streets To Protect Themselves From Upper-Story Israeli Settlers Who Throw Trash, Furniture, And Rocks Down On Them
Image credits: glamburg
#127 Residential Space In Noida, India
Image credits: blackunicorn0804
#128 Residential Units In Hong Kong
Image credits: biwook
#129 A Photo Of Central Park During The Great Depression (New York, 1933)
Image credits: Double_Usual3271
#130 Hong Kong's Incredibly Dense And Soulless Buildings
Image credits: katxwoods
#131 China
Image credits: hello_Eggplants
#132 Monster Building, Hong Kong
Image credits: Icecream0v0
