Approximately one-sixth of the world’s population now live in shanty towns, which are seen as “breeding grounds” for social problem such as crime, drug  addiction, alcoholism, poverty and unemployment.

      The development of megacities bring enormous challenges to governments, social and environmental planners, architects, engineers and the inhabitants of the megacities. Just one example: the London population grew from one million to eight million people in 150 years, while the population of Mexico City grew from one million to over 15 million people in only 50 years.

      No wonder, that the increasing number of people live in cities creates more demands, in areas such as housing and services. The destruction of our environment and poverty are two other concerns, which city administrations have to take care of.

      Megacities influence a variety of living conditions for citizens. Although traffic jams, poor air quality and increasing health risks, make life in megacities more difficult, people continue to choose to live there. Therefore it is essential, that more government programmes are carried out in order to help improve living conditions for the inhabitants of metropolitan areas.

      However, megacities also offer great chances: they offer opportunities to look for jobs, especially for young people. According to the authority, Mexico City and São Paulo produce around 50% of the income of their countries. Bangkok contributes more than 40% to the GDP, although it is home only to 10% of the population of Thailand.