03 – Cities/Urban Lives (Unit 8)

What is a problem your city has that is lowering the quality of life? What do you think is a solution to this problem?

Urban problems

Write a problem/solution paragraph (75-100 words) answering the questions above.

  • Review “Ideas for Ending Our Traffic Problems” in the Writing Skill section (pp. 170-1) for help.
    • Write only a paragraph. A full essay is not necessary. I’ll be looking for:
  • THESIS STATEMENT that introduces the topic and states the problem,
  • BODY that describes possible solutions, and
  • CONCLUSION that restates the problem and summarizes the solution.

Your paragraph is DUE THURS 30 OCTOBER, 11:59 pm
Your reply to your classmate is DUE FRI 31 OCTOBER, 11:59 pm
When replying to classmate, don’t just say “I agree!” or something similar. Add to the conversation with a two or three sentences of a detailed thought.

25 Replies to “03 – Cities/Urban Lives (Unit 8)”

  1. My city has a less cultural facilities and sports center. So when i want to use sport center, i should go far away my house or use the private center. It makes me using lots of money when i use it.
    For building the cultural facilities and sports center, i have some ideas.
    First, people who want to have this things in their town ask to government that build the cultural facilities and sports center in the town. I know that government has a budget to use people cultural things. People should be make their voice for their human rights.
    Second, after asking the government if they don’t receive people’s opinion. People start to raise money to build the centers. So it makes fundraising to people! They can build center themselves. They explain the purpose about the center. People might be have a good heart and donate to build it. But! Need to combination with the government.
    So if my town has a center for people, People can use it easily by cheeper price than private and improve their knowleage and emotion. People make voice! It will be done!

    1. These days, most of new apartments have the facility that contain sports center or other cultural facilities. I think this is the proof that most of people agree that we also need facilities about increasing quality of life.

    2. Our local government office has a sports center.
      It is only cheap, fitness equipment is not much and narrow.
      I hope to provide a little better service.

  2. People in Bundang has mostly a car. However, the problem is scarcity of parking space. I agree, of course, that it is fine more than Seoul. Sometimes I am painful because of parked cars anywhere. I couldn’t pass the way or someone is bumped into a car. And drivers have to find where their car parks. So I think It has to solve before the problem is worsened.
    First of all, it has to be adding the parking space for solving a fundamental matter. I think free parking lot is better than fee. And parking lot has to be all over the city. So, drivers can comfortably park and pedestrians also can walk with ease. Second, if the parking space is unavailable, drivers should avoid the place to harm pedestrians. I understand sometimes they have no choice but to park the wrong place. But I think we need the consideration between drivers and pedestrians.
    Even though the problem of parking space may be worsen, If the goverment try to solve it and if drivers and pedestrians care for each other, Bundang will be the best city.

    1. Since the Bundang is city with high population density, the lack of space, not only parking, has been a problem over the years. Goverment try to solve this problem for years too, but yet It is not that working I guess. It is sad that there is not much possible solution to make things better.

    2. I think the most reason of no parking place is each building didn’t get enough place for parking. some building have parking zone only 1 under floor even that have 10 floors for store. so many customer park outside.
      Goverment make new law for parking zone when people make building.

    3. Yes. I know it. Bundang doesn’t has a enough place to park. And i have one suggest. Why don’t you we use the department store parking lots? It is not too much expensive. So. If we connect with department store, we can use parking lots cheaply.
      And some department store provide the monthly ticket cheaply to use parking lots.

  3. in my city, very dirty river is flowed. that river called seoho cheon, and this river so dirty, smell is terrible sometimes trach is flow and a lot of fly and mosquito on there. so most of citizen not want go there, and so do i.
    so i think we need some action for city
    first, sometimes people cleaning this river. for example, citizen pick the trash and exterminating flies will need for this river.
    second, the Factore must prevent throw out wastewater in this river.
    nearby this river one factory is running and the river`s condition is really really terrible, and often this Factore throwing out wastewater in seoho river. and the government must take action about this situation.
    in conclusion citizen and the company that operate this factory, and government must effort for this river, the river will be clean!

    1. I also saw some unclean river in my city. At that time, I felt It was disgusting all of surrounding the river. I think the river is imfortant for the quality of the city. So, If the river is dirty, I think it makes all over the city unclean. That’s why I agree your opinion. All of us try to clean the river.

  4. Our city is too many cars. So the city is increasingly congested. I think the solution is using bicycle. For example, The city of Delft in the Netherland makes hire bikes for free to reduce car use. I think our city needs such measures. By placing a bikes around the city for free, many people will use bikes.
    Second people are recommended to reduce the personal vehicle. The way to encourage public transport use. If the city reduce car, people will get better live than it’s now.
    Finally, we would be difficult to have everything right away. But rather than blame the country, all of us will have to try a little bit.

    1. When I visited the Japan last summer, I saw the bicycle renting station, and people were glad to use this system. I think these days people are interested in bicycle because of its eco-friendly feature, this can be the good possible solution.

    2. Carpool also good. Many western people use carpool.
      if many people use carpool road become less crowed, also can keep money.
      Making carpool board in company or university can help people who want carpool.

    3. I think these methods are really would be good.
      The first method that encourage the use of bicycle will also improve the health of people as well as to reduce many cars. I hope that we can come true that solution.

  5. Our city has uncomfortable public transportation problem.
    In my case When I come to school by my car, it takes just thirty minutes to arrive at school.
    But when I use public transportation, it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes.
    So I often feel that my time is wasted at subway.
    To resolve this problem, I think that people who are suffered these problem should actively file a civil complaint. Then Bus companies must add additional busses and increase more convenient bus route.
    Although public transportation problem cannot solve quickly if citizen and those involved join forces,eventually we will handle it!

    1. I know your mind. Before using the Giheung station, i spend lots of time on the road. The city of person in charge should improve the transportation for quality if life!

  6. Using heating and cooling systems not only pollute our environment but also increase house expenses. So many company invest for energy industry.
    I searched way for improve our quality of life. Then I read interesting news So I want to introduce about it.
    Freiburg in Germany have special houses that called “Heliotrop”
    This house have many benefit compare normal house but main idea is using sun.
    It have solar panner for using solar power. we called this kind of things “Active system”.
    Until now it look like not really special. it have other way for using sun.
    This house have two walls.
    First, Insulation wall. this wall follows sun in summer. so it cover your house by sun. so your house can keep cool.
    Second, Glass wall. this wall follows sun in winter. so it let in the sun.
    so your house can keep warm.
    we called this kind of things “Passive system”.
    Active system can’t make enough and Passive system can just reduce using energy. but when they combine, can be nearly perfect.
    So I hope our city build Heliotrop like Germany government support them who build it.

  7. I think that our city problem lowering the quality of life is less trash can.
    I often try to throw the trash in the trash can were holding.
    But I can not find a trash can and went to the house holding the trash.
    Whenever this happen I thought trash can decreased than before and I was really uncomfortable.
    Also I have to walk Gangnam street when I go to the home.
    I can see lot of trash thrown on the street.
    This is also the fault of the people, but there is no much trash can.
    Less trash can make feel me uncomfortable and give annoyance to cleaner.
    Should increase the trash can in order to solve this problem.
    At least there are a lot of people around, It is necessary to increase trash can.

    1. Oh I really agree with your saying. my city also have little trash can. So many trash throw away on the street. It looks so bad.
      I want to sincerely that everywhere the trashcan is seen.

  8. I live in Gunpo.My city’s problem is that many old men live in our city. They are no one to take care of. But we don’t have any elderly welfare facilities. Ironically, we are famous for welfare so we have Disabled Welfare Facilities however why we don’t have elderly welfare facilities?
    I think about solution that solve the city’s problem. I wish the government want to support built the facility but It’s too hard. So we survey to people that How about bulding welfare facilities for the elderly. Then, If there is a considerable amount of pro, mayor and citizen raise fund and build facility. It’s also hard to implement but I wish we’d like to try.

    1. Other way for solve the problem is make that city younger place.
      if that city build good school and make place that young people like people want to move there. Then young volunteers also are increased and city become richer that can help to build welfare facilities.

    2. I think welfare benefaction is necessary not only elderly people also everybody.
      we are qualified receiving welfare benefaction. because we pay taxes.
      but we don’t receive many benefits. so I want the government bother these problem.

  9. I can say that city where I live is enough with the cultural facilities. But the sector on the west
    has a problem. That is lack of public transportation. And because of this problem, it takes me much more time if uses public transportation instead of personal vehicles. This problem makes people hard to go outside of the city if you don’t have personal vehicles.
    So my opinion about solving this problem is simple. Deploy more buses and if possible,
    build more stations. The time you waste to get the buses is almost 15-20 and if you’re unlucky
    , it almost take 30 minutes. This simple solution solve the problem come from lack of buses.
    So conclusion is that we need more buses, if possible more subway stations.

  10. I usually take subway, bundang line. when I go to the station,school and play outside, I ride that. it is very usuful to me. but if I miss subway, I must wait 15minutes. because of this I am late for school. so I an angry about this. furthermore, bundang line has destination for suwon and jukjeon. I live in suwon so I can’t ride jukjeon subway. however jukjeon subway is too much. most people ride suwon subway so its subway is very crowded. we can’t sit .
    bundang line’s problems are too much wait time and suwon subways are lack.
    many of people sympathy my opinion. to slove those problems, lengthen subway’s allocation intervals. then we don’t need to wait subway.
    another solve method is lengthen suwon subways too. so then, I am very satisfied with bundang line.

    1. Making school bus is good way too. My mean is not like knu school bus.
      From suwon station to myung ji university have some university like kyunghee, a-ju, kangnam, yoing-in unversity on the way.
      so should make conbined school bus. and the bus just stop suwon station and universities for student. Taking bus will be faster and subway also get more space.

    2. I know your feel!
      sometimes I ride bundang line subway to get school.(destination to suwon)
      but it is so lack and inefficient.
      I also want to solve this problem soon.

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