The Impacts of Unsustainable Urbanization on the Environment

Abstract

Urban areas—cities—are not simply geographic areas for human gathering but are a locus of economic production, cultural and social interactions, and ecological development. Therefore, cities create positive development values when planned and managed on a sustainable footing by considering institutional, governance, environmental, political, economic, coherent policies, cultural, and social conditions and requirements. Sustainable urbanization has multiple benefits including creating more employment opportunities and better incomes, hubs for innovative solutions by attracting competencies, enhancing land utilization efficiency, improving infrastructural performance, providing better services (e.g., education, health, water supply, and electricity), economic growth hub, acting as knowledge centers, better social and cultural life, and providing better living standards. While the impacts of rapid unsustainable urbanization are water stress, scarcity, and high consumption, sanitation wastewater, water pollution, air pollution, climate change, noise pollution, cultivated land depleted, urban sprawl, dust, solid and hazardous wastes, destruction of biodiversity, high energy consumption, traffic congestion, soil pollution, and deforestation. Thus, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—and its sustainable development goals (SDGs)—and New Urban Agenda are key transformative power toward sustainable urbanization development; this development is not at the expense of the environment while leading to prosperity and improving quality of life.

Sustainable urbanization between two ambitious global agendas: an integration approach

“…The 2030 Agenda combines human development (embodied in city and population growth) and sustainability transformation (embodied in human welfare, economic prosperity, and environmental conservation) [11]. Therefore, both Agendas are "top and foundation stones to adopt practical measures, coherent policies, and effective legal frameworks to improve resilient cities, better human settlements, aspirations life, and resilient infrastructure through sustainable planning, management, and governance to mitigate or prevent the devastating impacts of disasters and pandemics" [47].…”

Imagining the Cities of the Future With the Characteristics of 20th Century Urban Utopia as an Ideal City Model

“…Zenginlik: İdeal kent, farklı kültürlerin bir arada yaşadığı, hoşgörü ve çeşitliliğin desteklendiği bir ortamı yansıtarak kültürel etkileşim ve sanatsal faaliyetler teşvik edilmektedir (Banek, 2023).…”

“…Eğitim ve Sağlık Hizmetleri: Herkesin eğitim ve sağlık hizmetlerine erişimi kolaydır. Eğitim ve sağlık merkezleri stratejik noktalara yerleştirilir ve teknolojik ilerlemelerin bu alanlarda kullanımı desteklenmektedir (Banek, 2023).…”

Reúso de residuos de la construcción y demolición en un muro verde

“…La expansión urbana desde un punto de vista del imaginario colectivo representaba oportunidades de crecimiento económico y desarrollo humano. No obstante, en la actualidad, el crecimiento de las ciudades se asocia con estrés hídrico, inundaciones, deforestación, contaminación del suelo, agua y aire, destrucción del hábitat, falta de servicios básicos (salud, Reúso de residuos de la construcción y demolición en un muro verde Reuse of construction and demolition waste on a green wall esparcimiento, culturales), entre otros (Rashed, 2023). El Informe Mundial de Ciudades 2016 determinó que este enfoque de crecimiento urbano afecta a las personas, ocasiona gastos innecesarios, pone en riesgo al ambiente y es injusto (ONU-Habitat, 2016).…”