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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.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Mumbai, India
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#2
The Annual Monsoon Ritual Of Mumbai's Ocean Giving Back What Has Been Dumped In It
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
A Boy Gathers Recyclable Items From A Semi-Dry Drain, At Taimoor Nagar In New Delhi
#5
Hong Kong
#6
Beirut Port
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
Ah Yes, Trees
#8
Not A Very Romantic Scene
#9
Uae Nad Al Sheba III Neighborhood
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
#11
Cairo, Egypt
#12
This Is The Most Apocalyptic Image Of Modern Cairo, Egypt, I Have Ever Seen Anyone Take
S. E. in Indiana 6 hours ago
Stuff built thousands of years ago still standing proud. Newer construction falling apart and looks like c**p. We sure have progressed, haven't we?
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
New Delhi - During Lockdown vs. Now
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 12 hours ago
India has a population of 1.4 BILLION people. The USA has a population of 350 MILLION. COVID killed 1.2 MILLION Americans but only 530 THOUSAND Indians. Now please tell me how Donald Trump isn't guilty of at least a million deaths.
#14
People Offering Prayers At River Yamuna, India, Which Is Frothing From Industrial Waste
#15
Naples, Italy
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
Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong. Comparison Of 1964 - 2016
#17
Johannesburg, South Africa
R1MV4Superleggera 13 hours ago
Due to the huge number of robberies, kidnappings, burglaries, carjackings and what not there....tempted to bet the owner of that house has, as security, landmines buried around his house
#18
Private Houses On The Roof Of An Eight-Story Mall In Zhūzhōu, China
Blah Blah Blah 13 hours ago
This is a way better use of space than just a flat roof of nothing
“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
San Francisco, USA
Uncle Schmickle 9 hours ago
Good heavens ! When did this happen ? It was a wonderful place when I last visited. Maybe 15 years ago.
#20
Literally, Just Thanksgiving Traffic In La
#21
Residential Building In Hong Kong, Shot By Me On 35mm Film
Hippopotamuses 12 hours ago
I often wonder how anyone can have any quality of life in these mega-building. I guess the answer isn't quality, it's survival. Most of us are so lucky.
“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
"Lying Skyscraper" In Moscow. About 736m Long
#23
Hong Kong Street Life
R1MV4Superleggera 14 hours ago
Some say....Judge Dredd patrols that area! Dredd-3D-P...838261.jpg 
#24
People Living Next To A Helicoidal Street In Chongqing
“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
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Hippopotamuses 12 hours ago
... and this folks, is where many of our designer label clothes come from!
#26
Burj Al Babas, Turkey (The Largest Ghost Town In The World)
#27
Hong Kong's Dismal Cage Homes House Thousands Of People
#28
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
#29
Las Vegas’s Underground Homeless
#30
Chinese Ghost Town Of Mansions Reclaimed By Farmers
Robert Beveridge 6 hours ago
This one makes me truly hopeful. More c**p being reclaimed for better uses, please.
#31
Jalousie Neighborhood In Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
#33
An Interesting Perspective I've Stumbled Upon In Macau A Year Ago
#34
Magnitogorsk, One Of The Worst Polluted Cities In Russia. Only 28% Of The Children Born In The Town Are Fully Healthy
Hippopotamuses 12 hours ago
Magnitogorsk: City by the magnetic mountain. Unfortunately, that pretty much sums it up.
#35
Inequality In Tembisa, South Africa
#36
Disgusting Canal Near My Home In Manila. I Wish People Just Would Bother To Care How Our Environment Is Dying Fast
#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
#38
This Beautiful View From My NYC Apartment
#39
16th Century Mill Surrounded By Brand New Concrete In Seaside Bulgaria
#40
Infinite Amount Of Concrete…
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 12 hours ago
I;m OK with this and the one from Tokyo. Those cities look alive at least. The really bad ones are the dead cities.
#41
Light Pollution By A Single Building In Mumbai (It Was 1 Am When This Pic Was Taken)
#42
Bolton, England
#43
The Border Between The Brazilian City Of "Manaus" And The Amazon Rainforest
Hippopotamuses 12 hours ago
Although it looks awkward, it's probably just as well there is a defined border.
#44
Mirny, Yakutia, Russia
#45
Mumbai, India
#46
Night In Tokyo, Japan 🇯🇵
#47
South Bronx, New York City (1980s). Genuine Smiles Despite All That’s Around Them
#48
It's Baffling How Fast It Changes
#49
Petare, Venezuela
#50
Norilsk, Russia
#51
Town Square In Bartoszyce (Poland) Before And After
#52
Las Vegas
Bernd Herbert 8 hours ago
Not every area in this world is suitable for people to live in, especially not on that scale.
#53
There's Cities, There's Metropolises, And Then There's Tokyo
#54
Saint Petersburg, Russia
#55
Do Not Show Partiality To The Poor Or Favoritism To The Great, But Judge Your Neighbor Fairly
#56
Why Does Delhi Looks So Dystopian
#57
Christmas In Grimsby City Centre, UK
Little Bit 10 hours ago
There's a story behind this. Until a few years ago Grimsby was gifted a lovely Christmas tree every year from the people of Norway as a gesture of thanks for Grimsby's help during WWII. It was a GIFT, not something that the people of Grimsby paid for. It was sent across by boat around about September/October time and kept in storage until November when it was decorated and put on display. A few years ago the idiots at the council stored it incorrectly so that by the time it was ready for it to go on display it was mostly dead. Everybody blamed Norway and claimed that they had sent an inferior tree. There was so much moaning and complaining I the local newspaper and on social media that the people in Norway responsible for sending it said that, given their GIFT wasn't good enough, on reflection it would be better if they didn't bother sending a tree any more, and that was the end of that relationship. The tree in the picture is now the best the council can come up with.
#58
Covering The Slums With Green Walls
#59
Agbobloshie (Ghana) This Suburb Of Accra Is Western Europe's Preferred Dumping Ground For Electronic Waste. Population Affected: +40,000
#61
Anti-Homeless Spikes In Guangzhou, China
Hippopotamuses 12 hours ago
But surely there are no homeless in the People's Republic of China!
#62
The Ponds, A Suburb In Sydney. Packed In Like Sardines
#63
The City Of Belem Is Tearing Down A Forest Park To Build A Highway For The United Nations Climate Change Conference
#64
Hyesan. North Korea
Hippopotamuses 12 hours ago
Frankly, I'm surprised anyone managed to get this picture out of North Korea without being 'detained'.
#65
Hotel In Łodz, Poland
#66
Before And After A Desert Is Turned Into A Soulless Suburb Of A Desert. Jk, Its A Single Photo Of Arizona
Miracle Max 13 hours ago
Pima Road, east side of Phoenix. On the left is the Pima Indian Reservation. There are only about 2-3 miles that look like this. Now there are Walmarts, car dealers and a casino on the res.
#68
Huntington Beach, California, During The Oil Boom Of 1928
#69
The Before And The After Of My Hometown, Hungary
#70
One Of My Most Hated Buildings Finally Got Destroyed And Replaced By Something Beautiful
#74
"Ocean Access" + Suburbs In Florida
#76
Mansion On Top Of Building In Bangalore. Dear God
#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
#78
The "Other Side" Of The Pyramids Of Giza
Blah Blah Blah 13 hours ago
This photo is very deceiving bc the size of the pyramids is inconceivable.
#79
Trash Next To La Saline Market, Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
#80
Somewhere Along The Karachi Circular Railway, Pakistan
#81
A Concrete Jungle Somewhere In China
#82
Near The Flea Market, Marseilles, France
#83
An Empty 20 Lane Highway In Naypyidav, Myanmar
#85
Guangzhou Aerial
#86
Intersection Of Two Avenues In Sao Paulo, Brazil
#87
Newly Built Housing. Samara, Russia
#88
The Problem There Are Still People Living In Such Buildings!
#89
Skopje, North Macedonia. Consistently One Of The Most Polluted (Air Quality) Cities In Europe
#90
Liebian Building - A 121-Meter Skyscraper With A Waterfall In The City Of Guiyang, China's Guizhou Province
#91
Los Angeles Is Also A Concrete Jungle
kansasmagic 11 hours ago
What's remarkable to me, even having lived there, is how mountainous L.A. is. The Pacific Palisades (one of the areas worst hit by recent fires) is located near the green patch just south of the widest section of the (Santa Monica) mountains on the left side. That's how you get wildfires in the second largest city in the U.S.
#93
Income Inequality In Mumbai, India
#94
Los Angeles, From Above
#95
Main And Delaware Street, Kansas City
#96
Mumbai, India
#97
Postman On His Kowloon Route, 1989
#98
Outskirts Of Mexico City
#100
18000 People In A Single Building. (Saint Petersburg, Russia)
#101
View From The Bathroom Window, Belgrade
Hippopotamuses 12 hours ago
I don't expect much from bathrooms. I'd be interested in seeing the other views from this apartment, as well.
#103
Homeless In Phoenix, Arizona - The Hottest City In The USA
R1MV4Superleggera 13 hours ago
And the "magas" "think" their new leader will fix that situation...HA!
#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
kansasmagic 11 hours ago
It's a terrible location, but the school is a K-6 charter in a poor and underserved area. It may be a choice between a poorly placed school and busing kids an hour to other schools.
#106
Smog At The River In New Delhi - No, That Is Not Ice On The Water
#107
Milano, Italy
#108
The Michigan Theater In Detroit. Closed In 1976 And Gutted To Put A 3 Story Parking Garage Inside. Many Remnants Of It Remain
#109
Let Me Introduce You To My Hometown Of Duisburg In Germany
#112
Cairo, Egypt
Uncle Schmickle 7 hours ago
The wonders of ancient Egypt have been on my bucket list for many years. I've just taken them off !
#114
A Street In Mansoura, Egypt, With All The Signs For Doctors’ Offices
badmotorfinger 10 hours ago
Instead of saying hello to people you just nod and say "Doctor. Doctor. Doctor. Doctor..."
#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
#116
Norilsk, Russia
Robert Beveridge 6 hours ago
Compared to many of these, the most depressing place in the world ain't half bad.
#117
Concrete Canyon In Manhattan
#118
New Residential Block In Malaysia
#120
One Of My Favorite Pictures Of Macau. Hotel Grand Lisboa In The Background
#123
Cape Town, South Africa. One Of The Richest Cities On The Continent
#125
A Tree Fighting For Its Life In Hong Kong
#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
#129
A Photo Of Central Park During The Great Depression (New York, 1933)
#131
China
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What do you think ?
Blah Blah Blah 12 hours ago
Humans have such potential to be amazing but we continuously choose to be absolutely awful most of the time due to capitalism unfortunately
kansasmagic 11 hours ago
People were plenty awful to each other long before capitalism. Capitalism merely favors particular types of awfulness.
Load More Replies...
Laura Slade 7 hours ago
Scrolled past the last 60 just to say how depressing this article is and how f**ked up is the planet
Blah Blah Blah 12 hours ago
Humans have such potential to be amazing but we continuously choose to be absolutely awful most of the time due to capitalism unfortunately
kansasmagic 11 hours ago
People were plenty awful to each other long before capitalism. Capitalism merely favors particular types of awfulness.
Load More Replies... Laura Slade 7 hours ago
Scrolled past the last 60 just to say how depressing this article is and how f**ked up is the planet
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