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In recent times, cities around the world have undergone a
process of modernization, driven by a flourishing economy and expanding commerce
and industry. However, this has resulted in the conversion of residential areas
in the city center to other purposes, leading to a proliferation of problems
such as a housing shortage, social changes, and overcrowding. As a result, the
wealthier professional and managerial classes have steadily moved out to
suburban or country houses, leaving neglected residential areas in the city
center that give rise to slums.
To address these challenges, modern cities need to exclude dwelling places from
their central areas, except for those preserved for historic and cultural
reasons. The needs of civilized life have to be met, and skyscraper blocks of
flats need to be built in suburbs when there is pressure on space, as in Hong
Kong. Land values in the center of cities are very high, and rents therefore
become uneconomic unless subsidized by the government. This is because space has
to be found for various public buildings such as government offices, police and
fire stations, hospitals, office blocks, shops, factories, hotels, places of
amusement, churches, car parks and garages, museums, schools, universities, art
galleries, and many others.
To accommodate the workers who run the city, suburbs expand either upwards or
outwards. However, unless architecturally planned as satellite townships, these
areas can soon become depressing warrens of living units lacking character.
Thus, to avoid this, new facilities such as clubs, churches, temples, shops, and
sporting facilities have to be introduced. The lost community spirit has to be
re-created to prevent boredom among older people and delinquency among younger
people.
In populous Singapore, the government has successfully solved the age-long
housing problem by completing thousands of units of flats and shop-houses for
lower income groups. They have also engaged consultant engineers from the USA to
advise on transportation by monorail, dual rail, or electric train to address
the issue of traffic congestion. Singapore is on the way to solving this problem
by road-widening and double-tracking projects and building multi-storey car
parks. |
