Topic: A great city should not be confounded with a populous one. Discuss the statement and give your opinion.

In this day and age, with the breakneck speed of urban sprawl, criteria for a city to be recognized as an ideal residential place is a controversial topic. Some people believe that a great city is a far cry from a densely populated one. From my personal standpoint, low density is considered a fixed feature of an ideal city. On the one hand, a livable city is comprised of many contributing factors. Firstly, the most vital point is that all services have to be easily reachable in the city area so that city dwellers can get these services within a short period. For example, renowned universities, schools or healthcare centres at international level located in metropolitan zones generate advantages for city inhabitants to enjoy better living standards. City inhabitants also may enhance their spiritual life by going to the cinema or spending time in art galleries as well as museums. A further point is that urban industries and companies offer the vast of opportunities to professionals and entrepreneurs. Therefore, living in a great city may ensure you a promising future. On the other hand, dwellers in a densely populated area may be confronted with various problems. As living in a metropolis, people are confronted with high level of air pollution, which is caused mainly by the exhaust fumes released into the atmosphere from petrol-driven vehicles. The more populated the city is, the higher the demand for travelling becomes, and as a result, the higher the level of air pollution will be. Living in this environment for a long time is supposed to be detrimental to human health as polluted air is the main contributor to respiratory diseases. Another problem involves social aspects such as the issue of unemployment. As many people moving to big cities do not have any skills or qualifications, they are unlikely to find a job. This higher unemployment rate can give rise to the increased criminal activities threatening inhabitants’ life. In conclusion, while metropolis may be appropriate in more advanced nations, it is not the case in the developing. Instead, it would be better to have a wide range of medium size cities.