University of Glasgow

Pre-sessional English Language Course

To what extent can the problems of urbanisation be met by

a policy of sustainable development?

By

Ahmed Alqudsi – Block A

Tutor: Anna Rolinska / July 2009

Introduction:

Urbanisation can be defended as the growth of both population and the area due to the immigration

from rulers to urban area. This movement can be justified according to job or living opportunities.

However, there are many different problems that may happen because of the urbanisation such as

air pollution, traffic congestions, housing and economics difficulties. On the other hand there must

be solutions, which is important to disperse the fairness in the urban cities. This solution is formed

in such a plan project which called sustainable development. It can be as the process of developing

the cities, society and economy to be able to meet urban people needs. The availability to develop

in the future must be taking of into concern for excellent sustainable development.

On of the serious problems in the mass cities are housing and traffic congestion. Some

governments are trying to make to cope with these serious difficulties. The solutions of housing

must be well planed to avoid of over crowded. As a result of that it is very important to concern of

public transport .This essay will focus on two of the major urban problems, which are housing and

traffic congestion, and offer some solutions.

Problem of housing:

In most of urban cities, one of basic problems is the shortage of adequate housing. This is may

explained by the most of rapid urbanized cities have a crude surplus of houses more than

accommodated people. The apparent surplus includes, however, large numbers of accommodations

which are not suitable for living. However, the result is a net shortage. This does not take account

of other reasons for shortage. For Example, second homes in the wrong place or the need for an
available surplus so that householders can be moved. The influence of short number of houses is

that some of the urban citizens are left out. Because housing control in a market, the people who

are able to be left out will be those who have least resources. They can not hold an

accommodation, or have to live in unsuitable accommodation. The shortage may lead to rise up the

costs, creating problems in the supply of affordable housing. In 20th century; there was a

significant reform in owning lands. Urban on low wages tend now to be looking for social letting

housing. Britain is an example of a successful urban housing policy. It may due to the

classification of the urban accommodation which is according to the job standardization, who are

landlord, local letting, and tenants.

Method and principle is important to make excellent sustainable development strategies for

housing problem. It should be integrated into policies and planning processes. Privet foundation

should also develop their sustainable development strategies and work plans to ensure coherent

and systematic approaches are adopted.

It is necessarily that local authorities increase work for evidence of a systematic approach to

sustainability in the selection of partners for housing and regeneration plan. As a result it makes

good business sense to be implementing the sustainable development agenda.

Traffic congestion:

Traffic congestion is of the main problems of the urbanisation. It may occur because of a lot of

factors such as, the shortage of vehicles parking, which may increase the congestion due to the

parking in some location that is not designed for it. In addition the shortage of alternative travail

methods. This may happened when is the public transport is expensive of it is disappeared. The

final possible cause is when people are not use to public transport and they refuse the idea of it,

which mean they prefer to use their own cars. There are some institute made an simple idea, which
can solve the traffic congestion. For example Glasgow City Council has developed the one way

streets. This can make the traffic more fluent especially in rush hours. Renfield Street in Glasgow

has banned the cars to come though it in the way of the city centre. The most significant plans to

decreasing the traffic congestion have been concentrated on the operations. This simple

mechanism idea can be explained in to three roles. These three roles may reduce the travel

congestion, but it need to be focusing on reliability. On the other hand focusing on the influencing

plan may be increase the traffic congestion rather than solving it.

Traffic congestion can be reduced by increasing the capacity of motor ways. It should concentrate

on bottlenecks. For example adding additional lanes on motor ways, removing unnecessary

barriers, which it can be widening tunnels and bridge support. Secondly, decreasing damnation on

traffic, which include parking restriction, which will leads to make vehicle lees attractive by

applying costs on parking. It may introduce much better competition for limited city or road

space. In this satiation some planners agreed that free parking at shopping malls is one of the

reasons of traffic congestion.

Conclusion:

From these problems solutions above it can be said that it is possible to reform and restructure he

cities, but it should be taken in a cautious plan. Other ways it may cost a lot of money as a result of

deterioration. However, the organisation which can standardize the policy of living is significantly

successful. Some countries could not cop with it and do not show an obvious progress.

Despite of the fact that development is cost a lot of money , which can not be affordable in many

countries; some government such as the UK made successfully progress by spending more on

planning, and use of simple method , which is sufficient to solve the major problem.
Bibliography:

1. (P Balchin, Housing policy in Europe, Routledge 1996).

2. McCormack, J. & Slaght, J. (2005). Extended writing & research skills. Garnet Publishing.

3. Dunleavy, P. (1981) the politics of mass housing in Britain. OUP.

4. Wikipedia Encyclopaedia. (20/07/2009). Urbanisation. Retrieved July 22, 2009, Wikipedia

website. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urbanization