MindBullets 20 Years

Megacities have to downsize

UN blames supersized cities for the world's social ills

In a sweeping move, the United Nations has ordered the 75 largest megacities in the world to come up with strategies to radically reduce their urban populations.

“It’s just not sustainable to have more and more cities of over 30 million people,” said the Secretary General. “Something has to be done, and quickly, it’s become a human rights issue!”

And it’s no joke either. Systems just can’t cope with so many inhabitants. Services are in disarray and some inner-city areas resemble apocalypse movies, under the control of drug lords and armed gangs.

Urban decay is a laugh compared to the problems we now face in these huge metro sprawls. Skyscraper farms and other innovations have helped, but humanity was not designed to be in such close proximity. We all need more space.

Social discontent is part of the problem, but eco-sustainability demands that we make some changes, soon. The megacities of the future will have to be smaller and more manageable.

Without radical adjustment, the problems of climate change and energy shortages of previous decades will seem like small potatoes when this crisis reaches tipping point!

Powerful players like Shanghai and Mumbai are resisting this move, claiming they should have their own UN representatives. After all, they are bigger than many countries.

Warning: Hazardous thinking at work

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