Many old cities around the world are going through a major process of modernization. What are the advantages and disadvantages of modernization?
Modernization is the process by which cities are being transformed under the impact of the scientific and technological revolution. Modernization is usually associated with urban and industrial development. Cities are growing as economic and cultural centers, and new technologies have transformed almost every aspect of life. As everything has its pros and cons, similarly modernization also has its good and bad points which I shall discuss in this essay.
On the one hand modernization of cities is very beneficial to meet the needs of the growing population. Sky-scrapers are part of modern cities and they are needed today as land is becoming scarce. Modern architecture uses pre-fabricated material instead of wood for the doors and windows, which is also the need of the day. Modern buildings are also being made to be energy-efficient. For example, walls are being insulated so that lesser air-conditioning is needed. This is also a big plus point as we are all facing energy crises today.
Furthermore, road systems are being expanded to meet the needs of the growing number of vehicles. The benefits of these changes are becoming obvious as traffic jams are becoming things of the past in these places. Finally, as globalization is opening doors for the developing countries to expand their trade, modernization is becoming mandatory to attract foreign investments in these cities. It goes without doubt that these changes are bringing tangible benefits to these cities. For instance, the various multinational companies have opened in these cities and these are providing employment to many.
On the other hand, in the process of modernizing, most of the city administrators just copied the architecture of other cities from the developed world and this resulted in cloning of cities. Very naturally, to rebuild any city with modernization while maintaining its historical and cultural uniqueness is a difficult task that demands know-how in many areas. Copying is relatively simple and fast. Most of the cities now look similar and this has led to a loss of architectural diversity.
In conclusion, I believe that, modernizing cities is the need of the time and it has obviously much more advantages than disadvantages. However, care should be taken, as far as possible, to preserve some of the historic and cultural uniqueness of these cities.