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Why do experts say urbanization is at an all time high?

July 13, 2016

Why do experts say urbanization is at an all time high? The answer may shock you!

urbanization cityscape

Urbanization, as we are all aware of, is basically the process of a population shift from rural areas to cities. The most staggering cause of urbanization has to certainly be economic factors that are varied in nature.

As per a recent U.N. report, a massive 54 percent of the world’s population is said to reside in cities in the present times. While this is quite a big number that shows a clear favoritism for urban life, it is also being projected that by 2050, this percentage is likely to be pegged at an even higher 66 percent.

Mass urbanization, at present, is said to be a driver of economic growth, since people move to cities for higher-paying jobs and to attain better living standards. However, such growth is also believed to be unsustainable, according to several experts.

Now, there are several reasons as to why urbanization tends to affect the overall environment and cause social disparity. Many of these have to do with the unprecedented challenges that cities face, or are likely to face, but at the same really don’t have the preparedness for.

Another very basic problem is the probability of people being less skillful in their lives, mainly in dealing with everyday issues and problems. It has been observed that a large bunch of these problems could be easily solved by a generation higher to the present. However, at present, such problem-solving skills seem to be far too less and even rare.

We take a look at the major reasons why experts believe that urbanization has been high in recent times.

Industrialization & commercialization

One of the foremost causes that have driven urbanization, and is still doing so, is industrialization. Ever since the industrial revolution, cities have always emerged as a major means of production and business. The establishment of such heavy industries led to the migration of workers to urban centers.

Essentially a byproduct of industrialization, commercialization is what followed the former. Industrialization led to the manufacturing of goods and products that were meant to be traded. Cities, likewise, became the centers of such trade, which attracted more people to them.

As a result, urbanization has always thrived.

Transport and communication

Transportation and communication are another reason that experts state as a cause for rapid urbanization.

Cities and urban centers are well-connected and have better modes of transport too. So, cities have become popular places to reside in, considering their round the clock transport services for both, personal and business purposes.

Communication, on the other hand, is better in urban centers. Services, such as telephone, wireless mobile telephony, computer services, the Internet, etc. are all better and much easily available in cities. Hence, many people prefer to move to cities and reside there.

Better income and standard of living

People who work in cities are likely to earn as much, and even a whole lot more, when compared to those in rural areas. Agriculture is certainly no longer an option for a whole lot of people who migrate to cities in search of more skillful jobs that offer a better pay.  Mowing your lawn is no more.

Better pay also translates to better living standards in urban areas. This is, perhaps, the single biggest reason why urbanization is at an all time high.

Urban planning is attractive to people

Urban life happens to be pretty systematized and is pre-planned in nature. Compare that with rural life, and you can see the vast difference that exists. Rural areas also do not have proper planning in place which makes urban life pretty attractive.

Hence, people migrate to cities and that is another reason for high urbanization levels.

Better recreation, social life and mode of living

Urban areas certainly boast of better recreational facilities. All major cities in the world boast of having parks, walkways, cinemas, malls, stadiums, etc. These are pretty much absent in rural areas.

Cities also bring about a change in the mode of life and social conditions. Starting from personal matters, such as dressing, food habits, and residences, to fast-paced social activities, people tend to be attracted to urban life in more ways than one.

Better opportunities in education and arts

Education is one of the primary aspects that bring about a change in people’s lives. Hence, everyone wants to harness the best of education that they possibly can.

With regard to this, cities and urban areas certainly promise to offer better educational opportunities, as compared to those in rural areas. The very best of schools, colleges, and universities, are always located in the cities, which attract plenty of students.

While urbanization certainly been very high in recent times, it isn’t necessarily a good phenomenon. There are many fallouts of urbanization that don’t go hand in hand with a better quality of life.

Urbanization is largely responsible for social instability in the present day world. With more and more of the population moving to cities, there is a constant pressure on them to create a better economic value than that in the countryside. Rapid urbanization results in high cost of living there and competition to live in better spaces can drive people towards a certain debt trap.

It has also been observed that people migrating to cities these days tend to have low basic skills that pertain to solving common issues. For example, people are more reliant on others to get things done simply because they lack the skills to do such tasks by themselves.

An example in this sense can be roofing. People living in the countryside are often well versed in carrying out minor roof repairs and cleaning processes. However, in urban areas, it is almost totally unlikely that one could carry out their own roof repairs. As a result, they are more likely to rely on a roofing service. Thus, lack of basic skills is a result of urbanization as well.

While urbanization has its pros and cons, it is unlikely that the rate at which it is occurring is going to slow down. However, the most responsibility falls on the part of urban planners and governments to tackle or find alternatives to this rapid phenomenon.












Top 5. You better not have done that!?!?

June 9, 2016

5 things was hard… Really hard.

Top 5 things you should never do to your home

Lights on in the home

Your abode, without a doubt, will always rank amongst the most precious things you will ever own. So, it is necessary to take good care of it always.

Now, there are a whole lot of ways by which one can take good care of their home. Such tips are widely available on the Internet and even found across a range of media, such as magazines, newspapers, television, etc.

Most of them tend to focus on cleanliness, design and décor and stuff similar to these lines. They are essentially pretty well-thought tips that can multiply goodness in every aspect of your home and the living conditions in it.

Another very good aspect of getting such things done can turn you into a serious DIY-er. That allows you to undertake many home tasks without having to worry about calling an expert in the matter.

However, just as much as these ‘to-do’ tips are important, there are also plenty of things that one should never do to their home. These are basically serious turn-offs or simply things that you aren’t well trained to handle.

Here are some five tasks that you should never do to your home.

Do not do your own plumbing

You might the ambitious person that likes to undertake plenty of DIY tasks in the home. From painting the garage walls to cleaning the windows of your home, these are all the pretty good stuff that one can do by themselves from time to time. However, it is always a very good idea to refrain from doing your own plumbing work in the home.

While a small tap fixing job in the bathroom does not essentially fall under this, what we are referring to is the larger tasks that you are probably not versed in. One of the biggest reasons why this is a strict no-no is because you are not aware of the safety requirements that are mentioned in the building code. Plus, in case you happen to make a mess out of things, water will probably be everywhere around the house, thereby causing a whole lot of damage. Your best bet is to always rely on a plumbing service.

Do not try your hands at your own electrical work

Again, a simple bulb replacement task does not fall under this but on the whole, it is a bright idea to stay away from fixing electrical problems in the house. First off, electrical work requires plenty of safety precautions, along with a lot of know-how. So, there is obviously no scope for trying out something.

Always remember that with electrical systems if you happen to do something wrong, then it likely that you will damage a lot of appliances in the home. And worst of all, you might even get electrocuted.

Always consult a good electrician in your neighborhood when you face issues with electricity.

Do not remove walls between rooms or do bump-outs

This is another very important thing that should not be done in the home. Not all walls of the home are merely meant to serve as a divisive purpose. Many walls are likely to be load bearing walls as well, ones that hold the weight of the entire building together. So, look to consult with a contractor or a structural engineer who can help you with this task. Only after a proper consultation should you be undertaking such a task.

Another thing that you should not be doing is adding a bump-out. Bump-outs are basically pushing the wall a few feet out so as to get some extra space. Now, while the extra space might indeed help you serve a certain purpose, it is better to avoid this. Why?

Implementation of this improvement results in a higher cost per square foot, one that is surely going to pinch your pockets. A better option in this regard would be to go for a sizeable addition that comes at a lower cost per square foot, thus lowering the expense.

Do not park on the lawn or not take care of it

Having a nice yard or a lawn in the home is a fabulous idea. A lawn simply adds so much value to the home, mainly in terms of aesthetic beauty. However, do not be the one that does not take care of the lawn in the neighborhood.

An unkempt lawn simply makes the overall outlook of the house look shabby, besides making the entire neighborhood look bad. Also, it says a lot about your personal distaste in keeping things clean and tidy.

Make it a point to mow the lawn and even clean all the unwanted dirt that may accumulate with time. Fertilize the lawn correctly because overdoing it might just turn the green lush into a barren yellow area.

Besides, if you feel that you do not have enough time to take care of your lawn, make sure you hand the task over to a caretaker or service that would happily do the job for you. Good news! Such services don’t cost a fortune either.

Another thing that you should definitely not be doing is parking your car on the lawn. This is a strict no and sure enough defeats the whole purpose of having a garage.

Do not mow when the grass in the lawn is wet

It is believed that the best time to mow the grass in the lawn is when it is dry. Now, this isn’t just a statement but has its reasons too.

Moisture or rainwater on the grass naturally tends to wear down the grass, as a result, the grass blades bend. This makes the straight cutting of the grass incredibly difficult to carry out. Also, clipping on wet grass tends to clump and not really spread out. So, they do not make a good cut. Another reason is that mowing wet grass can be a cause for the spread of diseases. This is due to freshly cut wet grass being susceptible to several kinds of diseases.

Of course, the last reason would be to make sure of your personal safety. You could slip on wet grass and have a bad fall.

The above-mentioned cases are simply certain things that you should really avoid doing to or at your home. Besides these, there are plenty of other such things that you could easily catch up on!