There is a school of thoughts believing that it is ideal to reside in cities characterized by low-rise buildings, whereas others advocate for settling in high-rise cities. Although cities with predominantly low-rise structures offer considerable advantages, I assume that cities with tall buildings provide even greater benefits.
On the one hand, there are merits of horizontal cities, emphasizing on residents’ mental well-being. Chief of these is that living in sprawling cities offers a greater extent of mental comfort, rooting from privacy and connection between family members. A case in point could be seen in individuals settling in low-rise cities as their houses often include garden and personal space, allowing them to enjoy recreational activities, such as celebrating parties and family gathering, without being disturbed by neighbors. Living in low-rise buildings, consequently, could reduce stress and strengthen family bonds. However, horizontal expansion may cause urban sprawl, leading to insufficiency of land used for public places, as well as longer commutes that create reliance on private vehicles, worsening air pollution and traffic congestion.
On the other hand, I believe that choosing to live in cities with skyscrapers and tall buildings is a superior option. First and foremost, with the land remaining unchanged while population keeps increasing, vertical structures allow for more efficient land use. Building upward enables cities to accommodate a larger population yet use minimal land area for personal accommodations. To take New York City, a very developed city in the US, as a high example, it covers a relatively small area but is densely-populated thanks to the application of vertical layouts. As a result, this utilisation could preserve space for public services, including hospitals, schools, helping maintain overall well-being of residents. Secondly, residing in high-rise buildings could mitigate air pollution caused by a large amount of private vehicles’ emissions. In vertical cities, most essential services and workplaces have a tendency to concentrate in a small area, so citizens could use public transport to commute, lessening the amount of car emission into the environment. Nevertheless, some people think that high-rise structures may itself be energy-intensive as they require energy used for elevators, lighting and so on. Nowadays, however, with technological advancements, houses are built in green structures, including solar panels, energy-efficient glass, helping reduce energy-consumption. Thus, if vertical buildings are properly designed, individuals could still achieve net-zero energy and residential life remains sustainable.
In conclusion, while low-rise structures offer the benefits in terms of mental aspect, high-rise designs, with the superior efficiency of efficient land usage and environmental aspects, make it a more appealing choice of living in my opinion.