Band 7+: The most effective way to solve the current traffic and pollution problems in cities is to encourage people to move from the suburbs or countryside into the city centre. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is believed that the best way to resolve traffic and pollution problems in cities is to move residents from the outskirts to the city centre. I generally disagree with this idea and the following paragraphs will explain my opinion.

To begin with, if people move from the

countryside to the city, there will undoubtedly be a growth in the number of residents. Due to the fact that almost every adult has a car nowadays, traffic and pollution are going to increase. By this I mean that a big concentration of people will be in the city, which leads to more waste and pollution. To exemplify, the recent research has showed that after the big movement from suburban area to the London’s centre traffic and pollution increase for more than 50 percent. Furthermore, it caused a rise in crime. This example provides us with the understanding that the environmental problem cannot be solved by the movement of people.

Another point that is worth mentioning is that the possible drawback of such a solution may be dimishing villages and expanding cities. Villages supply urban areas with agricultural products and recreational activities. In other words, spending time in a village can reduce the stress, thanks to its calmness and unbothered nature. Furthermore, the countryside does not produce as much waste and pollution as cities do. To give an example of this, Moscow has been developed and industrialized a lot lately, but this required demolition of countrysides and the movement of the elderly people to this large city. Consequently, shops ran out of good quality food. Some researchers interviewed the old, who moved from the outskirts to the city centre, and it turned out that their health became worse. This shows that the offered solution is not improving the problems.

To conclude from the aforementioned arguments, I firmly believe that the movement of residents from the suburbs to the city center leads to even more pollution and heavier traffic. These changes may also affect the supply with agricultural products and the health of the elderly people.