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Cities are fascinating places, a culmination of history, architecture and human design, both good and bad simultaneously. Some even are said to have a life and spirit of their own, but like everything we make, there are also downsides. 

The “Urban Hell” online group is dedicated to sharing images from some of the most dystopian-looking places that humans have put together. We got in touch with Professor Alan March from the Melbourne School of Design to learn more. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your own thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. 

#1

Garbage In A Canal, Basrah, Iraq

Garbage In A Canal, Basrah, Iraq

biwook Report

#2

"Me First!!!!" Mentality (In Viet Nam Btw)

"Me First!!!!" Mentality (In Viet Nam Btw)

Vietcong777 Report

#3

Residential Units In Hong Kong

Residential Units In Hong Kong

biwook Report

Bored Panda got in touch with Professor Alan March from the Melbourne School of Design, who specializes in Urban Planning and Disaster Risk Reduction. He was kind enough to share some of his thoughts on bad urban design and “urban hell.” Firstly, we wanted to hear what common misconceptions about this field he has encountered.

“That planners have control over all aspects of cities and towns! We don’t – we are but one actor in a complex system of developers, bureaucrats, other government departments, politicians and other interest groups. We don’t really have that much power,” he shared. After all, some of the “worst” offenders emerge without any planning or authority, like the favelas of Latin America. 

#4

Agbobloshie (Ghana) This Suburb Of Accra Is Western Europe's Preferred Dumping Ground For Electronic Waste. Population Affected: +40,000

Agbobloshie (Ghana) This Suburb Of Accra Is Western Europe's Preferred Dumping Ground For Electronic Waste. Population Affected: +40,000

AkaGurGor Report

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#5

The Border Between The Brazilian City Of "Manaus" And The Amazon Rainforest

The Border Between The Brazilian City Of "Manaus" And The Amazon Rainforest

BulkaZmaslem Report

#6

Smog At The River In New Delhi - No, That Is Not Ice On The Water

Smog At The River In New Delhi - No, That Is Not Ice On The Water

jeandolly Report

“That we sit in front of drawing boards designing towns and cities. Well, we sometimes do, but mostly not. We actually have diverse tasks: regulations and policy (writing and administering), running meetings, project management, legal processes, advising politicians, economic analysis, heritage and so forth,” he added. 

#7

Trash Next To La Saline Market, Port-Au-Prince, Haiti

Trash Next To La Saline Market, Port-Au-Prince, Haiti

biwook Report

#8

Income Inequality In Mumbai, India

Income Inequality In Mumbai, India

kalid34 Report

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#9

Milano, Italy

Milano, Italy

schiantoRG Report

He had some more misconceptions to share. “That we are officious and want to make peoples’ lives difficult. In fact, most of us really want to help people as well as having the public good in mind. We chose the profession for that reason. Often, saying “no” to someone or something is in favor of collective outcomes.”

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#10

The Michigan Theater In Detroit. Closed In 1976 And Gutted To Put A 3 Story Parking Garage Inside. Many Remnants Of It Remain

The Michigan Theater In Detroit. Closed In 1976 And Gutted To Put A 3 Story Parking Garage Inside. Many Remnants Of It Remain

Newgate1996 Report

#11

Somewhere Along The Karachi Circular Railway, Pakistan

Somewhere Along The Karachi Circular Railway, Pakistan

[deleted] Report

#12

A Concrete Jungle Somewhere In China

A Concrete Jungle Somewhere In China

Papppi-56 Report

“For example: “No, you can’t demolish a heritage structure, even though you own the land, because the cultural significance of that is of significance to the wider community”. Alternatively, “Yes, that is an old building, but it doesn’t really have any cultural or heritage significance, so the developer is allowed to demolish it to provide more housing in keeping with our elected government’s policy”.”

#13

Polluted Haze Above Dubai

Polluted Haze Above Dubai

fischbroetchen22 Report

#14

Let Me Introduce You To My Hometown Of Duisburg In Germany

Let Me Introduce You To My Hometown Of Duisburg In Germany

Fourtyseven249 Report

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#15

Near The Flea Market, Marseilles, France

Near The Flea Market, Marseilles, France

ManoOccultis Report

We were also curious to hear about some examples of poor urban planning from his perspective. “Non-integrated services. Examples include train timetables and physical connections that don’t connect with buses. Unsafe places, particularly for the vulnerable,” he shared. 

#16

Island Heat Effect ✨

Island Heat Effect ✨

nyorkkk Report

#17

Mirny, Yakutia, Russia

Mirny, Yakutia, Russia

BigDigDigBig23 Report

#18

Mesa, Arizona, USA

Mesa, Arizona, USA

iamayeshaerotica Report

“Increasing inequity of services, manifest in spatial distribution and exacerbated by concentrations of wealth or lower income across cities. This is increasingly leading to intergenerational inequity.” For many readers, the classic “slum” comes to mind, while wealthier people live in fully separated neighborhoods. 

#19

Anti-Homeless Spikes In Guangzhou, China

Anti-Homeless Spikes In Guangzhou, China

ManbadFerrara Report

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#20

An Empty 20 Lane Highway In Naypyidav, Myanmar

An Empty 20 Lane Highway In Naypyidav, Myanmar

Milek9608 Report

#21

Los Angeles, From Above

Los Angeles, From Above

HowDidYouKillMe Report

Other examples included “Car dependency along with poor public transport, obesity and food deserts in poorer areas where there is a lot of high calorie-low nutrient-low cost food available, contributing to climate change emissions. A lack of community due to insufficient or poorly designed public realm spaces for a diverse range of people.”

#22

Built Up Tunnel In Napoli

Built Up Tunnel In Napoli

longwaytotokyo Report

#23

Downtown Houston In The 1970s Was Just A Massive Parking Lot

Downtown Houston In The 1970s Was Just A Massive Parking Lot

stgia Report

#24

Guryong Village In Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea

Guryong Village In Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea

admiralturtleship Report

#25

Airbnb Listing Says “Posh Location” - Bangkok, Thailand

Airbnb Listing Says “Posh Location” - Bangkok, Thailand

mistresscakeslut Report

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#26

Which Urban Hell Do Y’all Prefer, American Hell Or Chinese Hell?

Which Urban Hell Do Y’all Prefer, American Hell Or Chinese Hell?

RoundTurtle538 Report

#27

Saratoga Springs Utah Temple

Saratoga Springs Utah Temple

Comrade_Jane_Jacobs Report

#28

Every Building You See Is A Parking Garage. White Plains, NY

Every Building You See Is A Parking Garage. White Plains, NY

redditreloaded Report

#29

Newcastle, England 1970s

Newcastle, England 1970s

DonkeyNandos Report

#30

Newly Completed World Trade Centre 1973

Newly Completed World Trade Centre 1973

papillonintunisia Report

Note: this post originally had 48 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.