4.2 billion people live in cities worldwide. That’s more than half of the population. By 2050, it’s projected that more than two-thirds of us will reside in urban areas.
But denser doesn’t mean better. This environment can pose a lot of challenges, including noise and air pollution, lack of green spaces, and inadequate transport. And there’s a photography subreddit that documents them.
It’s called ‘Urban Hell‘ and the people running it say it’s dedicated to “all the hideous places human beings built or inhabit.”They invite us to go there for aesthetic appreciation of the darker side of the cities, towns, and villages in our world, promising rural and suburban curses as well. So let’s do that and take a look at the pictures that have recently popped up within the subreddit.
For more, check out We’s earlier articles on it here and here.
#1 Dhaka, Bangladesh
#2 This Is The Most Apocalyptic Image Of Modern Cairo, Egypt, I Have Ever Seen Anyone Take
Of course, city living has a lot to offer. From local coffee shops and restaurants to attending cultural events and meeting people from diverse backgrounds, spending your days in a metropolis can be exciting.
But some of the issues that are evident in these pictures don’t just look bad. They also damage our health. And we’re not talking about minor annoyances. Constant stimulation from a busy city living can take a big toll on your mental well-being.
#3 The Before And The After Of My Hometown, Hungary
#4 One Of My Most Hated Buildings Finally Got Destroyed And Replaced By Something Beautiful
Compared to rural residents, researchers have discovered that urbanites are 21 percent more likely to have anxiety disorders and 39 percent more likely to have mood disorders. A 2017 meta-analysis also found that rates of the following conditions were also higher among those living in urban areas:
PTSD;anger management;generalized anxiety disorder.
The same was true for more serious disorders like schizophrenia and paranoia.
#5 Welcome To Texas
#6 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
#7 There’s Cities, There’s Metropolises, And Then There’s Tokyo
Psychiatrists think it’s because the constant stimulation of city life can put you in difficult situations where you get the fight-or-flight response, which in turn alters how you cope with stress.
But the problems don’t end there. City living can also chip away at your psychological immune system, which can be precarious for those with a family history of mental illness. According to experts, this environmental stress can increase their risk of developing a psychiatric condition, such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder.
#8 50 Lane Traffic Jam – China
#9 (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
#10 Concrete Canyon In Manhattan
#11 18000 People In A Single Building. (Saint Petersburg, Russia)
But even though urban life may lead to emotional distress, shame and stigma can stop young adults from talking about their struggles. This may explain why they feel lonelier than older generations, according to a Cigna study. What’s more, young adults, especially millennials, often feel burned out.
Some folks view them as incompetent adults who shy away from responsibility, but as Anne Helen Peterson explained to Buzzfeed, millennials have “errand paralysis” and think they should always be working.
#12 Lagos, Nigeria – The Overcrowding Is Terrible
#13 Egypt, What Is Wrong With You?
#14 Newly Built Housing. Samara, Russia
#15 Saint Petersburg, Russia
City life can also affect our physical health. A 2017 study suggests too much exposure to air pollution and city noise may cause damage to a person’s cardiovascular health.
For instance, never-ending traffic noise may interfere with our sleep quality and cause cortisol, the stress hormone, to spike. Over time, elevated levels of this hormone can increase our risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
#16 Do Not Show Partiality To The Poor Or Favoritism To The Great, But Judge Your Neighbor Fairly
#17 New Residential Block In Malaysia
#18 View From The Bathroom Window, Belgrade
#19 Why Does Delhi Looks So Dystopian
It also seems urban dwellers may be more prone to insomnia and sleep difficulties. In a survey of more than 15,000 individuals, researchers found that the bright lights of a city can dampen a person’s ability to get a good night’s rest.
According to the survey, 6 percent of people living in highly lit, urban areas slept less than six hours each night. Furthermore, 29 percent of these urbanites were dissatisfied with the quality of their nighttime rest.
#20 Christmas In Grimsby City Centre, UK
#21 Infinite Amount Of Concrete…
#22 “Ocean Access” + Suburbs In Florida
#23 It’s Hard To Capture In Two Photos, But Here Is A Brand New KFC Sat In The Middle Of Cleared Rainforest In Malaysia, Ready For A Development To Be Built Around It
#24 Trying To Cross The Street? Bummer. The Street Is Only For Cars. Tehran
#25 A Lovely Day For A Picnic…
#26 Each Of Those Houses With A Garden Are £1+ Million. The Grass In All Gardens Is Astroturf
#27 A Homeless Man Sleeps Next To A 50 Gallon Drum Of Burning Scavenged Wood In Front Of The World Trade Center Under Construction, New York City, 1970
#28 Vorkuta, Russia. The Coldest City In Europe (Lowest Temperature Ever Recorded At -52 C)
#29 Jakarta’s Chinatown 1940s vs. Now
#30 No Need To Worry, Elite Architects Were At Work Here
#31 Advertisement On A Commercial Building, South Korea
#32 One Of The Worst Traffic And Pollution In The World. Tehran, Iran
#33 I Just Want To Get To The Other Side Of The Highway Man
#34 A Spiral Parking Lot Somewhere In Chongqing, China
#35 Duisburg, Also Known As The Ugliest City In Germany
#36 The Entrance To A Shopping Mall That Is Still Alive And Well, Despite The Visual Evidence To The Contrary
#37 One More Lane Will Solve This. Cairo
#38 An Apartment In Istanbul Is Attached To Another Building
#39 Abu Eir, Alexandria, Egypt
#40 White And Beige Nebraska *oc