Band 7+: More and more people are migrating to cities in search of a better life, but city life can be extremely difficult. Explain some of the difficulties of living in a city. How can governments make urban life better for everyone? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experiences. You should write at least 250 words.

There is a growing number of people purposefully choosing to live in cities. Although urban life can be dynamic, fast-paced and exciting, it comes with a cost such as more expensive housing and long commute times. However, there are some measures that governments can take to make city life better.

People living in cities face numerous problems that affect their quality of life. One such issue is expensive housing. Compared to small towns and rural areas, housing in large cities is less affordable. Everyone wants to live in good neighbourhoods with convenient locations. However, there is not enough housing for everyone in those areas. This high demand and low supply drives the prices up, forcing people to spend more money on their accommodations. Another notable issue in cities is traffic. Cities usually span a large area, which means that the distances that people have to travel are also large. Combined with a big population, this creates a problem of traffic jams. People in cities spend considerably more time on commuting compared to those who live in small towns and rural areas. These two issues means that people living in cities spend a larger portion of their income on housing and have less time on more productive activities, which ultimately decreases their quality of life.

However, governments can solve these issues through policies and subsidies. To decrease the housing prices governments can impose rent control, which would put restrictions on how often landlords can raise rent. Furthermore, governments can subsidise affordable housing programs, directly decreasing people’s financial burden. To solve the traffic problem, governments can build “15-minute neighbourhoods” where people can find everything they need within a 15-minute walk. This would discourage driving and help reducing the traffic. In addition to that, governments can encourage cycling by building more bike lanes and improve public transport system, so that people have viable alternatives to driving a car.

To conclude, living in cities does not come without a cost. People should be mindful of high housing prices and long commute times before moving to large cities. However, these problems can be resolved over time if governments allocate resources to these specific issues.