These are, of course, not the megacities of the future we want to see. Some serious urban planning is needed to make our cities of the future good, safe and modern places to live in. This involves improving the infrastructure, the housing conditions and also the opportunities for education and employment.

Something urban planners are looking at now is the creation of 'smart cities'. According to John Rossant, founder and chairman of the non-profit organisation New Cities Foundation, technology is the way forward. He thinks that it's generally accepted that "cloud computing, ubiquitous internet, robust 5G networks etc, will transform our cities." He says technology is really "a game changer", in urbanisation. It would collect large amounts of data about how a city is performing and may improve how a city functions.

This may sound like a utopian view. For now, some cities and conurbations around the world are trying out more low-tech schemes to try and make them desirable places to live and work in. Building shared-ownership housing and improving public transport are some ways. And encouraging cycling and building bike lanes can keep the population healthy and cut down on smog. What would make your city a better place to live in?

词汇表 sprawling 杂乱无序地扩展

urban centre 城市中心

congestion 拥堵，堵塞

pollution 污染

migrate 移居

shanty town （大城市中心或近郊的）棚户区

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