Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
People On This Group Are Sharing Examples Of The ‘Urban Hell’ That Humans Built For Themselves (50 New Pics)
Interview
Think of it, there are 4.4 billion inhabitants, or around 56% of the world's population, living in cities worldwide. Each person of these billions needs not only space but a vast array of resources to function. Then, a level of comfort, well-being and health has to be ensured, which is becoming somewhat of a challenge, to say the least.
In order to see what happens if things go out of control with cities turning into concrete jungles, we’re taking a look at dystopian, yet very real scenarios shared on the corner of Reddit known as “Urban Hell.” This online community is putting to light the dark side of modern development which results in these candid, hard-to-look-at pictures of both urban and suburban landscapes turning into something unrecognizable.
Scroll down through the batch of the newest posts and be sure to share our previous articles from Urban Hell here, here and here.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Landlord Puts Up Advertising On Scaffolding Which Blocks All Light And Air
Johannes Wagner 3 years ago
This was definitely horrible! The good thing is:the advertisement was put down by the ad company one week after it was build! Sources: https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/riesenbanner-in-berlin-neukolln-war-nicht-genehmigt-werbeflache-in-der-sonnenallee-nach-mieterprotesten-abmontiert-8844529.html and https://twitter.com/dienagel_/status/1589912594185613313?s=46&t=5t_ruYhD4-Sv6W9cwcFI5g
DEW 3 years ago
How could anyone be so stupid to block the air and light of their renter's and thinks it's fine?? It's a sick ego that would think they have a right to do it. Rip holes in it and open up your window's!!
Feminist Percussionist 3 years ago
Also if there’s a fire, how are they supposed to get out? Doors aren’t always accessible! Surely this is illegal.
Load More Replies...
Lauren Caswell 3 years ago (edited)
This is pure greed, and pure disregard. People think money=above the law because sadly it's often true
Khara Mei 3 years ago
In many places, this is 100% illegal. Does Germany have right to light style laws at all?
My O My 3 years ago
There us a rule for everything in germany. But people tend to just try if they can go through with stuff like this
Load More Replies...
With the worldwide population reaching record highs, you can't help but wonder about the future of modern living. Will there be enough space for everyone? What kind of quality of life will we have? What if the urban landscapes turn into urban hell?
Bored Panda reached out to Dr. Audrey Tang, a chartered psychologist and author of multiple books, including "Be A Great Manager Now", "The Leader's Guide to Mindfulness," and "The Leader's Guide to Resilience” to discuss these worries. Dr. Tang was happy to share some incredible insights into the state of living today and its prospects in the future.
RELATED:
#2
Mumbai, India
Okatango 3 years ago (edited)
I know I am going to get a lot of flack, but I have to ask. Can people not organize amongst themselves to remove trash, at least keep contained in one area? In many countries, citizens are obliged to keep their part of the side walk clean (in apartment buildings they take turns) and even after the war citizens teamed up to haul away rubble. They could put in cheap composting bins, use soil for growing things off balconies. I was very poor (not this poor, of course) at one point in my life, but it did not stop me from spending a couple of hours a week pitching in try and make things tidy or more pleasant.
Debra McGeorge 3 years ago
The poverty is real, but chucking your trash out the window is inexcusable. We were horribly poor growing up, but we had the cleanest place. Can I blame this on the lack of infrastructure? Do they even have a sanitation department?
Sapna Sarfare 3 years ago
As an India, the issue is huge population and a general lack of interest (at times) to clean up or not throw things. Things are slowly improving. The govt is providing support the municipal corporations or local govt people who are doing good work. It is still a bit chaotic. Places like Mumbai are literally small and with huge population... We have rankings in terms of cleanliness. Read up on a place called Indore which has consistently been no 1 in cleanliness. And the place is way small to cities like Mumbai and Delhi.
Vanessa Panerosa 3 years ago
What was everyone saying about their great decision to erect the world’s tallest statue? How about you address the world’s biggest issue first.
#3
30 People Getting Coffee vs. 30 People Enjoying Coffe
Emie N. 3 years ago
How do you know where they're from? It could be Canada for all we know or Australia.....
Load More Replies...
VM37 3 years ago
I'll take your coffe Shop and raise you a coffe on the beach in Dubrovnik. coffe-dubr...rovnik.jpg 
Summer Mason 3 years ago
Was the picture taken at the hight of the panidimic? Cause i feel like this isn't even remotely close to how things are today.
Moose 3 years ago
That was my first thought. The lack of anyone at all inside screams pandemic photo
Load More Replies...
RuthieT 3 years ago
Highly recommend Bill Bryson’s A walk in the woods. Explains the vastness of the US and how many cities aren’t made for walking, hence the polarity of drive throughs
Kayjunmoon 3 years ago
Anything Bill Bryson is excellent. His books on the human body and the history of the home are full of wonderful snippets. His take on an American arriving in Britain and dealing with things like the old British landlady of the 1970s is hilarious.
Load More Replies...
Dre Mosley 3 years ago
I’d rather just make coffee at home. You’ll never find me in a drive thru for coffee.
#4
Mumbai, India. The Divide Between The Richest People In India vs. One Of The Poorest. Extreme Wealth Inequality On Display
Johnnee 3 years ago
Only going to get worse. Indians are repopulating their country insanely fast.
Paul Aguilera 3 years ago
Repopulating implies they were under population at some point, I don't remember ever reading that in a history book. China and America aren't far behind, brace ourselves.
Load More Replies...
Rainclouds Radio 3 years ago
Can you really call Mumbai rich , rich tho? Yes, they are in an apartment compared to a shack but is that all we are considering? Asia, particularly China and to a lesser extent India, have done very well to eliminate some of the poverty they have in their respective countries. Birth control is a large part of this
07000 3 years ago
Look up Antilia - the residence of the Ambanis. It is also in Mumbai.
Load More Replies... Chich 3 years ago
Saw something similar in Syracuse NY. Back in the late 70s we were visiting. Driving down one street it literaly went manicured lawns / wall / blown out store fronts and trash. I was sitting beside a fellow who had immigrated from India not long before the trip. He couldn't believe it. Kept saying "But this is america, this isn't supposed to happen here"
harpling 3 years ago
In America, that's likely to be the result of 'redlining' laws, under which people were only allowed to buy or rent in specific zip codes or between certain streets. The infrastructure investment was vastly different: sewers, street lights, road repairs, telephone lines, etc. Often, the distinction runs down the middle of a street, very visible on both sides. https://nhc.org/the-history-of-redlining/ Isabel Wilkerson had the same reaction as your friend from India and wrote 'Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent' about how racism in America is similar to the caste system in India. https://www.isabelwilkerson.com/
Load More Replies... Kenneth McCartney 3 years ago
Don't you DARE come to MY side of the tracks, you lower caste that I was fortunately not born into.
CHRIS DOMRES 3 years ago
Isn't the caste system still in place? Those poor people cannot even hope to raise themselves out of poverty because no opportunities for growth are available to them.
Sapna Sarfare 3 years ago
This has nothing to do with the caste system. It is basically rich vs poor. Mumbai is a city of immigrants. Many come from villages in hope of lifting themselves out of the poverty. Many prefer staying in slums because it is cheaper and they can send money back home. In fact, slums like Dharavi have million dollar businesses in them. Read up
Load More Replies...
ravina nimje 3 years ago
Being slum doesn't mean they are poor always. Slums have tones of multi-million dollar businesses. Plus sympathy and free amenities people get. They have to pay zero charges for utilities or medical bills or taxes.
Dr. Tang explained that houses can be classed as “positional goods.” “This is a term used by economists i.e. goods that people value because of what they can convey to others; and there has been research which suggests that people would be happy to have a 'small house in absolute terms, so long as it was bigger than everyone else’s.' (Solnick and Hemenway, 2005 cited by Foye, 2022 in The Conversation).”
However, Dr. Tang argues that having a safe place to live falls within basic human needs (Maslow, 1943). In fact, a study by the Joseph Rowtree Foundation outlined 3 levels of poverty that Dr. Tang quoted: “Income below minimum standard making it difficult to manage the unexpected; Not enough income (where one falls short of a decent standard of living); Destitution (not being able to afford to eat, keep clean, stay warm and dry).”
#5
Residential Block In Hong Kong
Stardust she/her 3 years ago
I’m sure I stayed here when i was 5. The buildings were so tall that I was afraid of trying to escape during a fire
Shyla Bouche 3 years ago
Zara, I was really wondering. It didn't sound like you at all. I guess the trolls are stepping up their game.
Load More Replies...
DaveR38 3 years ago
I used to live in HK and have in-laws there. These blocks actually work quite well, residents (or the council) pay towards their upkeep and they are clean & secure with a watchman for each block. At the bottom are shops, restaurants, etc. There is not much land there and they have to build upwards, but at least its done properly.
harpling 3 years ago (edited)
To be honest, this looks much nicer than the aerial photos of Las Vegas or Los Angeles. With 8 billion people on the planet (and climbing!), we'll probably all have to live in an arrangement like this before long.
Load More Replies...
Joeshar 3 years ago
this is not a choice of Hong Kong but a solution. 17,311 people per square mile (6,659 people per square kilometer). And yet it's safe, clean and developped city. Few slums maybe zero.
#6
View From My Hotel - Tangshan China, Birth Of The Chinese Coal Industry!
Nathaniel Garrett 3 years ago
There are parts of China that constantly experience air quality worse than that experienced by first responders at ground zero during 9/11.
Steve Robert 3 years ago
We are making this planet uninhabitable for living creatures and we will pay the price
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
And because of global wind currents, China shares that air with the rest of the world. Gee thanks, China.
Šimon Špaček 3 years ago
Amazing, you can cut the air in bricks and sell it as cheap building material.
#7
Vegas, Minus The Neon Glow
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 3 years ago
Little boxes on hill little boxes made of ticky tack. Little boxes in a row and they're all ticky tacky and they all look just the same.
Powerful Katrinka 3 years ago
There's a pink one and a green one and a blue one and a yellow one...
Load More Replies...
Piper 3 years ago
It’s a desert, you don’t see much grass either. When I lived there years and years ago, painted rock yards were a thing because it was not easy to grow a lawn, took a lot of water.
Load More Replies... Powerful Katrinka 3 years ago
Wonder what the place is going to look like when they completely run out of water... which will be very, very soon.
Russell Tilling 3 years ago
Energy and water consumption per capita? Just so's ppl can gamble legally?
According to the best-selling author and spokesperson, many of the places where people currently live fall below that. “Take the example of Hong Kong ‘coffin homes.’ The government calls them ‘bedspace apartments’ – in other words, there is space for a bed. They are legal, although you need a license, and they are not seen as an answer to the housing and cost of living crisis (Hong Kong is one of the most expensive cities in the world), but rather a ‘stop gap’ as people wait for housing,” Dr. Tang explained.
Dr. Tang argues that therein lies two immediate problems: “first, it is not a solution, although it is easy to believe it is; and second, one might say ‘at least they have a roof.’”
Meanwhile, many journalists have investigated the living conditions in coffin homes, “sometimes contributing to what some call ‘poverty porn’ because of the ‘shock value’ of the imagery, but those who have taken the time to speak with residents will hear how they ‘feel forgotten’ or for some of the seniors, it’s simply ‘wanting to die,’” Dr. Tang explained.
#8
Los Angeles Train Tracks Not Much Better Than India
Andy Saputo 3 years ago
This was due to thieves opening the train cars and stealing the packages (and leaving the empty boxes). I thought they solved this problem last year?
Bob La Capra 3 years ago
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-11-17/los-angeles-railroad-theft-rings-taken-down-police-say
Load More Replies...
Alex Chan 3 years ago
Forget about the garbage, the fact that many people are stealing s**t from the train is the real problem there.
Load More Replies... adam craker 3 years ago
So this is a really common place for literal train robbery. Trains sit her for tens of hours a long time for trains. Some times days and people brake into the shipping containers. What's all over the ground is from those containers. Mostly card board and packing materials.
Kyra Sooudi 3 years ago
That’s due to the overwhelming homeless population. They’re a protected class and have more rights than pretty much anyone else in america at this point.
Glee Ennui 3 years ago
Wow then why isn’t everyone trying to be homeless?
Load More Replies...
Andy Saputo 3 years ago
This is caused by thieves stealing packages out of trains and discarding the packaging onto the tracks. It was on the news last year and I believe the issue was resolved.
Load More Replies...
#9
I See Your Sliding Puzzle Going Wrong And I Raise You Sao Paulo!
Jiminy 3 years ago
Everyone on an outer right lane makes a right turn. And then the middle lanes ones. But no chance without a coordinator.
Load More Replies... Steve Robert 3 years ago
Do you think some kind of traffic control is warranted here? This is what happens when you block intersections
Laura R. Varanda 3 years ago
We do! This happened after a storm, the traffic lights were broken, and these are some of the most important avenues in SP.
Load More Replies...
ohjojo (you/your's) 3 years ago
Thank you. My brain was searching for the word gridlock and could not find it.
Load More Replies...
Kimberly Weixel 3 years ago
This is so dumb a situation to get into that it looks like it was intentionally setup.
DuchessDegu 3 years ago
To be fair the traffic lights weren't working, but yeah, people are stupid as well
#10
Cherepovets, Russia
Toni Ahlgren 3 years ago
Filtered and recolored. Street view is available and it looks like really quaint little town with trees and parks everywhere.
Andrea Cox 3 years ago
There is a steel plant exporting to many countries in the world (well, pre-war), metallurgy and chemical industry in this town with more than 300 thousand inhabitants. Definitely nothing quaint and little about this town in Russia.
Load More Replies... Adam Jeff 3 years ago
I can see trees, and you can't tell if there is colour or not because of the lighting of the picture
Load More Replies...
It brings up another issue and relates to her first point about “positional goods”. “When someone lives in space that is not adequate for their needs, there is a huge judgment and stigma placed around them, made worse if they feel the very nature of a ‘semi solution’ (i.e. ‘at least they have a roof’) is simply a way of being able to sweep the issue under the carpet… a carpet which they do not possess,” Dr. Tang argues.
According to the author, too often – “and this is a bit of an issue in psychology,” she adds – what was a temporary ‘stop gap’ becomes acceptable, and the real problem is overlooked… “Where this plays out in psychology is when organizations or schools have or bring in psychologists to run sessions or see people and no one feels the need to address the root of the toxicity because – there’s a psychologist!”
#11
This Is The Longest Traffic Jam Ever Recorded. The China National Highway 110 Was Clogged Up For 100 Kms For 10 Days
Stinky Malinky 3 years ago
That’s probably why it lasted ten days: tons of unmanned cars
Load More Replies...
DEW 3 years ago
How did they fix this? I mean did folks just stay in their cars? Did folks go home and had to be back at 7 am? 10 days is a time. What did they do with their kids in the car or in daycare? I have some many questions.
Cassie 3 years ago
This is one of the most misreported incident that makes the rounds on social media. That road is the G4 Expressway and doesn't usually have that level of traffic. It's only that wide in that one spot for the tolls to keep traffic moving under normal circumstances. Otherwise, it's just a four-lane in each direction highway (notice the lanes of opposing traffic in the top of the image, the toll area for the other side is further down). This happened following a week-long national holiday in 2015 and the backup lasted a few hours, not ten days. The traffic jam in 2010 on the China National Highway 110 that did last for ten days was due to a number of factors including rules about how many trucks could enter Beijing,. It was moving, just very slowly. There were some drivers reportedly in it for up to five days, but most did not experience the entirety of the backup. Vendors did take advantage to sell food, water, and cigarettes at inflated prices to motorists in the traffic jam.
Load More Replies... 
charli 3 years ago
that's because (and you can see it to the right of the photo) the 50 lane highway merges in like 4 lanes i think
Alison Hell 3 years ago
It looks more like they are just dropping off Into a body of water.
Load More Replies... 
Leonardo Colle 3 years ago
One can use this to uderstand the chinese taste for cars... WHinte and black are the best sellers
#12
A Train Engine Passing Through The Bandra Station Tracks Of Mumbai, India
Mokayokok 3 years ago
India has really been outshining everyone on this list - it looks disgusting.
Mokayokok 3 years ago
** I don’t know why ya’ll are downvoting me, you have eyes, you can clearly see it’s beyond disgusting.
Load More Replies...
Paul Brown 3 years ago
Seeing all these pictures really brings home how horribly we've damaged this planet. It fills me with despair that we could ever clean it up. I knew there were some really bad places but I never realized how many and how bad it really is until now.
ί𝔫ＣίŦᵃт𝐔𝐬 3 years ago
Can I ask, do they have any way to get rid of the trash, some sort of sanitation system? How do things work there? I hold discussions in class about trash removal and how our living conditions would quickly become intolerable without it (I'm in USA).
Load More Replies... miniyoongles 3 years ago
India is commonly seen on this list. I do have to say that as an Indian who now lives in the states, yes this is real and occurs, but such portrayals are only shown on Western media. No one likes to see the nice, beautiful portions of India. Yes these issues must be fixed, but I'm tired of the negative portrayal causing everyone to ask me if my hometown is just as trashy as the commonly shown slums.
Vishy 3 years ago
From the same city this pic was taken and sadly its the truth. The fact is its all for votes. The more people you can fit in an political party gets an increased share. Don't be under the impression that people are poor. A beggar in Mumbai has 2 bank accounts and 3 houses in his family's name. All of them beg. It's like family business. In India only 35% people pay taxes.
#13
Los Angeles
ohjojo (you/your's) 3 years ago
I can see in your window. You didn't make your bed again.
Load More Replies... Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
I lived in L.A. in the seventies. Back then, we had smog days, where children and adults with respiratory issues were warned not to go outside for long periods because the smog was so bad. I remember going to camp in the mountains, and you could literally see where the smog level was as you were driving back down to the lower elevation. Because of how bad the smog used to be, you would never get a picture of the area as clear as this. Thanks goodness for the catalytic converter, environmental regulations, the ban on the sale of leaded gasoline, and all the progress we’ve made in the last 50 years. If we hadn’t made that effort, just refer to the pictures in this article from both China and Russia to get an idea how our skies would’ve looked by now.
Bibmibap 3 years ago
I see all sorts in this picture! Still quite densely populated, but there are trees
Load More Replies... 
featherytoad 3 years ago
I feel so lucky that I grew up in the country with fresh air, forests to explore, a creek to play in and tons of open land.
Cynthia Carter 3 years ago
Hate LA, especially the flats parts. I was at a house in Long Beach in 1970 and it was so hazy it obscured the view across the street. It was a nice old neighborhood with huge trees too. I had a headache almost the entire time.
Dr. Tang told Bored Panda that she started the discussion with this “somewhat political point because we need to recognize that it is not just the effect of the environment at play – human nature, behavior, and stigma will also contribute to wellbeing.” She also argues that there are things that WE CAN do to make a difference, but this requires society to take steps.
#14
Urban Hell In The Making
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 3 years ago
Pop the door open and wheel the TV around and you can both play Xbox together without leaving your apartments.
Load More Replies...
Steve Robert 3 years ago
Why even have balconies like this? And what kind of planning department allowed this?
DEW 3 years ago
My kid worked at Burger King and a apartment building and one of tenet's didn't like the smoke and always asked if they could turn the smoke pipe the other way and she said they couldn't. Well they have since torn down BK and built another apartment about 10 feet from the lady complaining. So now when she looks out her balcony all she see's is the side of the apartment building. It's sad that first she had the smoke and now a big cement building to look at. I feel so bad for her. I hope she was able to move.
Max Robitzsch 3 years ago
Looks like the breezeways. I.e. accessways to the doors open to the weather. Not well (i.e. beautifully) designed, no, but if the rest of the apartments has good window alignment, it may not be bad at all.
Hippopotamuses 3 years ago
Why even bother to have balconies on the sides? They’re just going to cut out the light.
Joshua David 3 years ago (edited)
Looking for a home in my Atlanta suburb, Alpharetta was the same thing. I looked for a home 6 months 10 years ago because all the future neighborhood slums didn't appeal to me. Homes so close to one another it was giving me anxiety. Not to mention build with the cheapest materials. Finally built a 4 sided brick (the homes here are all 1 to 3 sided brick mostly) home on 2 acres in horse country with no one around me. I hate this town.
#15
Calcutta
a fruity dream of delusion 3 years ago
something about these pictures of huge slowly decaying apartment buildings somewhat terrifies me.
Alison Hell 3 years ago (edited)
The air conditioning business looks like its booming there, though maybe those arent air conditioners.
Jim Shoeman 3 years ago
Is the building named Titas "Premier" ?!!? If that's Premier.... What the #?!@# is standard like?
Bubbles and sparks 3 years ago
Looking at this made me think of how long before this collapses.... It's scary....
#16
Three Socioeconomic Classes In The Philippines
Nicholas Stone 3 years ago
@Mudkip_maestro Yeah, I totally get Kill La Kill vibes from this! 850593.png 
Pantelis Bakalis 3 years ago
I am pretty sure that many democrats live there too........
Load More Replies... 
Moreover, Dr. Tang noted that we need to make the distinction between a ‘small home’ and a tiny area in which a person has no choice but to live out of poverty. The first one “has access to green space, modern amenities, privacy, and is laid out comfortably for the professional who will often spend their time out of it, or can still afford what the lack of space may hinder.”
And the second refers to “the person who has no choice but to live in a tiny area, with unclean facilities that are shared, little soundproofing, and the reason they are there is because that is all they can afford… and society can see that.”
“We go on holiday and ‘live’ comfortably in our hotel rooms, we camp in less and many of us will have spent time in halls of residence at university,” Dr. Tang said. Yet, she reminds us that we need to remember one thing: “while during those times perhaps we did complain a little about the lack of privacy or the noise, we may always have known that this was temporary and we could afford to go out for the space we needed rather than thinking ‘This is all I’ve got’… and that’s after working in often just as cramped conditions for pay that only affords you that house.” She added that it is a really different situation.
#17
Phayathai, Bangkok, Thailand
a fruity dream of delusion 3 years ago
i can’t begin to imagine the chaos that would ensue if those were to fall.
April Caron 3 years ago
I can’t begin imagining being a lineman in Thailand! Or maybe this is because they DON’T have linemen?
Load More Replies...
Courtney Christelle 3 years ago
I'm surprised Thailand hasn't burned to the ground from an electrical fire.
M O'Connell 3 years ago
The power cables are only at the very tippy-top (attached to the ceramic insulators), everything below them is low-voltage (telephone and cable tv/internet).
Load More Replies...
Yeah, okay. 3 years ago
Not even gonna show this to my friend the power lineman. The immediate and rapid facial tick he'd get seeing this would need medical attention.
Christoph Hager 3 years ago
Luckily those are telephone lines not power lines.
Load More Replies... Debra McGeorge 3 years ago
Just how much more weight can the post handle before it comes crashing down?
Aileen Stein 3 years ago
Been there. If you're not looking up it's better, haha. When it rains tho, I'm like how are we not all electrocuted?
Load More Replies...
TheSilentEngineer 3 years ago
That reminds me of the time I spent in Nigeria their cables look just like that
#18
American Cookie Cutter Suburb: Autocentric, Boring, Dystopian, Void Of Soul, Void Of Culture, Void Of Happiness
Natalie Cilla 3 years ago
True. And yet… why not plant some flowers? Trees? Add a little life to whatever zombie neighborhood this is?
Load More Replies...
Dre Mosley 3 years ago (edited)
The assumption of a "devoid of happiness" is just that, an assumption. Plenty of happiness in these communities, actually. Yes, most houses follow one of like three or four different floor plans, so boring, I'll admit, but they're usually nice, safe places to live.
Little Wonder 3 years ago
While the HOA roams, measuring your lawn and making sure you don't express any personality in your yard.
ThisIsMyDisplayName 3 years ago
Sizeable homes with front and back gardens and lots of daylight. The comment about the lack of culture, soul or happiness seems nasty - I think those living in most of the hellish urban dystopias on this list would be ecstatic to swap for anodyne American suburbs like this, even with their homeowners' associations.
Nicole Weymann 3 years ago
...and suburbers would gladly swap with mansion owners - the comparison is unbalaced, because most people live in what luxury they can buy. Point is: these houses are expensive, yet what you get lacks a lot of the values many people look for when they invest into their own home, like individuality and freedom (see HOA). It's like shopping for a nice outfit with a generous budget and being told "For your 450 bucks you can take anything you like, provided the shirt is grey, long sleeved, made from acrylic, no collar, no pattern, trousers long, black, ....."
Load More Replies... Katy McMouse 3 years ago
Criticize all you want, but there are too many of us who are in desperate need of affordable, safe housing. If our governments get serious about housing everyone, then this is what it could look like in some areas. It's not so bad, especially if you have never had stable living conditions.
Mary Lou 3 years ago
I grew up in a town house like this in a German suburb - they where was basically just cubes, flat roofed, one after the other - far more ugly than these. As people where allowed to paint them different colors and plant the front garden any way they wanted, it still looked far better. This is a dystrophy of HOA´s making, but then again: if people didn´t want to live like that, they wouldn´t consent on such strict rules of conformity...
Load More Replies... Barbara Forshee 3 years ago
May be void of all that but it's also void of trash. Look at the picture before it. I'll take cookie cutter clean anyday.
Khara Mei 3 years ago
For America, that is one of the least autocentric burbs I've seen. No garage and no driveway to be seen.
Emma Schumann 3 years ago
When you see pictures of Manila and Mumbai, how can we complain about this??
#19
Slums Of Manila
Jim Shoeman 3 years ago
I cant even joke about this... WTF: There's another d**k behind the girl on the left...and it's a diamondhead?
LazyPanda 3 years ago (edited)
Sometimes...pointing out a phallus is not the most important thing in life. Know it's hard to believe on this site
Load More Replies... Cyril Navarro 3 years ago
Manila, Manila I miss you like hell, Manila There's no place in the world like Manila I'm coming home to stay.
Androgyny Lunacy 3 years ago (edited)
I'm kinda seeing parts of Detroit without large buildings..
Dr. Tang worked with award-winning master planners who design communities, such as John Goldwyn and Alexandra Steed. “Both have voiced their concerns on modern development from within their field,” the award-winning author said.
She recounted how “Alexandra Steed discussed a project in Essex where ‘...there used to be 30000 hectares of marshland on the edge of the Thames Estuary which protected the land from North Sea storms and surges of water which would hammer the land.’ But people perceived these as wasteland - it was filled with waste, and these marshlands that were efficient at capturing and storing carbon, and home to thousands of creatures with such value - they were squandered.’”
#20
Dhaka Bangladesh
Alison Hell 3 years ago (edited)
Im thinking they just cut the wire at the ends of wherever they go, and just fix on a new wire, instead of messing around with anything.
Load More Replies...
Lady of the Mountains 3 years ago
Eventuakly it'll get to the point where the wires are holding the poles up
Cynthia Carter 3 years ago
They sure don't have electric and building codes. That looks frightening..
#21
"Progress" Is Not Always A Good Thing
David H 3 years ago (edited)
NY needed the extra lanes to connect different highways and bridges, I drive this area sometimes, (you can see the Yeshiva University main tower just above the bridge in the bottom pic showing Washington Heights), however on the other side of the bridge (right side of screem), the part you cannot see in this pic, there still is pkenty of parks. Its easy to be critical when you dont drive this area, dont live near there, and dont understand the traffic patterns of a 8.6 million person city. In 1908 NYC was about 4.2 million people with 250k in Queens, now it is 8.6 million with 2.3 million in Queens. This was nessesary
ItsJess 3 years ago
I drive here occasionally, it's not great but it would be ten times worse without the connections and exits.
Load More Replies...
Pillowarmidiloroku 3 years ago
It did look better in the first but think of the logic here without those roads that are new in the second picture the road trip could have been 12 hours instead of 7 so logically that new road system could have helped a lot of people out
Kitten Dog Mom 3 years ago
Why did they try to fix something that clearly didn't look broken???
Analyn Lahr 3 years ago
What happened to the water! Was that water there under the bridge in 1908? I can't quite tell.
#22
Beach Life In Karachi
DEW 3 years ago
It looks so cold here. The man in the water looks to be only wearing trunks. What is he doing? Is he fishing? The waves look dangerous to me. I'd be worried.
Kye 3 years ago
I’d be more concerned about what’s in the polluted water.
Load More Replies...
lunar eclipse 3 years ago
Karachi has become sooo filthy The beaches used to be so beautiful but people just throw trash wherever they're sitting and leave
Paul Aguilera 3 years ago
It's OK to go swimming, the water is warm from all the urine runoff 💦🤮
Laura Ford-Everett 3 years ago
Poor India. Seems like your either really poor or really rich :(
Meanwhile, John Goldwyn gives the example of Dubai, where “...to maintain the coastline the sea needs to be dredged on a frighteningly frequent basis. This is the opposite to resilient design."
Dr. Tang explained that “all this is because of a cacophony of money and ego and to some extent - speed/desperation which leads to 'quick fixes'! Both Alexandra and John continue to promote the importance of understanding the landscape and basing developments on that - which would also help when it comes to protecting nature and doing much to address some of the broader environmental issues - and yet governments do not always seek advice from the very people who can actually help them help others.”
#23
Severe Pollution In Delhi NCR, Pictures From Today And September 2022
Khara Mei 3 years ago (edited)
This is from the farm fires, happens every year, even during the lockdown it happened. Farmers can't afford the machines, fuel, maintenance, and disposal for clearing the fields manually in time for winter sowing, so they clear them with fire.
Load More Replies...
MSL 3 years ago
This is mainly due to subtle burning is the neighbouring states and these farmers cannot be prosecuted for this as they are the mail vote bank and are biggest donator to the government. Currently both Delhi and Punjab the main culprits have the same party in power and the irony while campaigning they committed to everyone that they will get this resolved !!!
Kirk Evans 3 years ago
Am I the only one that finds this confusing? Right now it is November 20, 2022, so September 2022 is only two months ago. What changed? It might be helpful if they said what day "today" is.
Nea 3 years ago
October November see stubble burning in North India. This is combined with arrival of winter, and this lower temperatures that does not let the heaviness go away. It ends up being smog around that time. September is reasonably better.
Load More Replies... Lady of the Mountains 3 years ago
Fires? That's an awful big differenve im air quality for very little time
Nea 3 years ago
Most parts of India are beautiful and you can also see most parts :) Delhi Mumbai are small dots.
Load More Replies... #24
Alleyway In India
Angela 3 years ago (edited)
India laughs at California trying to save the planet one straw and one 10 cent plastic bag at a time. :( Edit: I agree with my state, CA, trying our best. It sometimes feels futile when we see other countries' situations.
Sonja 3 years ago
Would you rather want California looking like this? If they didn't stop it yet, that's how it'd look like in a few years. Do you really want to live like that just because India choose to let it happen and you don't want to live without straws and plastic bags?
Load More Replies...
DEW 3 years ago
Why do they want to live like this? Is there no bags or dumps where you can get rid of the garbage?
roz 3 years ago
I'd like to know why they keep reproducing. Would you want children in that place?
Load More Replies...
Jods 3 years ago
Between 2016 and 2020 the UK gave around £1.9 billion in aid to India. What the hell is the Indian government doing with it?
Nea 3 years ago
You mean UK returned £1.9 billion of the enormous amount they looted for centuries? But yes, we are s**t, our government is s**t. No excuse for that.
Load More Replies... Androgyny Lunacy 3 years ago
Why exactly can't their high population of people clean this stuff up together? :/
Alex Chan 3 years ago
it seems ppl just don't seem to care about hygiene, they don't even try to clean it up
Load More Replies... 
#25
Venice Beach California Homeless Encampment
2picklesinabun 3 years ago
Portland, Oregon looks like this too. As does a city on the coast. Awful
Summer Mason 3 years ago
It's gonna get worse with the cost of living going up and up and up. I just met a couple yesterday who moved to TN too from WA. We were najbors in WA. I moved 7 years ago. They moved last year.
Load More Replies...
Androgyny Lunacy 3 years ago (edited)
At least they don't have to be in the snow.. -A former homeless person from Michigan
love u 3 years ago
My friend lives there; i live in the bay area, theres a hell of a lot of homeless people in California in general, extremely sad :(
Display Name 3 years ago
Largely because your woke Calif crowd says one thing about helping poor and making the world a better place, but acts on self-interest. A lots of Calif homelessness can be solved if housing units are changed from single family occupancy to building apartment complexes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNDgcjVGHIw
Load More Replies... Dawn Marie 3 years ago
Should not be allowed to happen in this, our United States Of America!!
According to the award-winning author, we need to be working in a multi-disciplinary manner, “by seeking input from people who know the environment and who plan resilient cities and communities as their day job(!) - not just for sustainability, but ultimately for survival.”
Having said that, Dr. Tang fears that if we do not take time to listen or take advice because we haven't planned for it, there will be tragic consequences. “We will continue to hide behind the idea of things being ‘unprecedented,’ mobilizing only at the point of crisis and using a ‘quick fix’ - when we could take steps now to build communities later 'where every organism can thrive' (Goldwyn) - and instead panic when the time comes and do things too quickly to put a sticking plaster over the cracks.”
Dr. Tang calls this “short sighted, ego-driven behavior.” And it’s not just going to affect the environment and our wellbeing, but life as a whole. “Is our lifestyle going to become as disposable as single-use plastics - because that's what it looks like to me, and we all know what single-use plastics do!”
#26
Gurugram, India. Aqi Over 400 Because Of Farm Fires
a fruity dream of delusion 3 years ago
i’m just thinking about how bad that’s going to be for both human’s and animals lungs.. my god
Alexandra Comeau 3 years ago
and the poor animals, seriously, they did nothing to deserve this. humans are ar fault. always -.-
Load More Replies... Steve Robert 3 years ago
And, yet they still allow this to happen. Worst than Los Angeles in the 1950s. You can do something if you have the will to do it but you must be willing to spend the money
Display Name 3 years ago
Actually Indian government wanted to make stubble burning a crime. But there was massive riots and these rioters were supported by Leftist darlings like Greta Thunberg, Justin Trudeau.
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 3 years ago
I only saw the top bit at first and thought the picture hadn't loaded!
Salma Hernández 3 years ago (edited)
I live in Mexico City and I have problem with polution I worry about people with same condiions and worse tha live there. Watching al photos of India to this one, I can say I feel bad about that country.
Doctor Strange 3 years ago
Never gonna visit Delhi. I knew someone who went to Delhi and she said that she could immediately smell the trash after coming out the clouds when on approach to Indira Gandhi airport in Delhi.
#27
Mumbai (Bombay)
Rainclouds Radio 3 years ago
Just because you are in an apartment in India, doesn't mean you are rich
Load More Replies...
Cheryl Carter 2 years ago
Again, they have to use what they have to live in. It isn't trashy like some others. It is sad that they seem forgotten against the skyscrapers.
Must Be Bored Again 3 years ago
The mid sized colorful one in the middle looks like jenga. I would be terrified to go up in there.
#28
Dubai, Uae. 1985 vs. 2016
Nathaniel Garrett 3 years ago
Overpopulation is not the issue. Mismanagement of resources is the issue.
Load More Replies...
Alfred Hitchcock 3 years ago
They will make even more through world cup, premier league, and slave trade by then
Load More Replies...
Michelle Thiel 3 years ago
Yes. I even saw a corral of camels as we drove by. And more camels passed us in a truck.
Load More Replies...
~MushroomFrog~ 3 years ago
I think people should tear everything down, fix the earth(it they can),and have a fresh start, and only keep important stuff, like medicines and hospitals.
Herman goetter 2 years ago
I recently watched videos on YouTube and was amazed to see in Italy towns and villages that are hundreds of years old , some even nearly 1000 old .A real beautiful change from the following.
Deborah Barron Brown 3 years ago
It is the same for Vegas. My first visit in 1987 and today look like these pics.
#29
Falling Asleep, Bangladesh. A Large Number Of Homeless People In Dhaka, Bangladesh Have Lost Their Property Due To Natural Disasters. For Them, An Asphalt Street Is The Best They Can Hope For, Otherwise They Have To Sleep On Plastic Trash
K- THULU 3 years ago
Well, thanks to climate change, their country is shrinking year by year so I'm afraid the future is pretty bleak for Bangladesh....
Load More Replies... Tiger Lilly 3 years ago
This post is making me understand why the planet is trying to shake us off, we're damn pests
Keller22 3 years ago
Our planet might survive beautifully without humans.
Load More Replies... 
T.M.P Janssen 3 years ago
Concrete sucks the warmth out of you. Might be more smelly, but probably not as cold. Still horrible they have to endure this at all after suffering from natural disasters in the first place.
Margaret Zahn 2 years ago
There one family of slum dwellers and their animals in India that live in the local landfill.
#30
Was Talking To My Wife About Bakersfield, Ca And Did A Google Image Search...holy Hell
Pillowarmidiloroku 3 years ago
It looks like this because their finding what you use every day so please don’t comment oh how terrible they cant add plants or a nice walkway like what do y’all expect
Yeah, okay. 3 years ago
One of the few places in California where pumpjacks are not hidden. Google "hidden pumpjacks" and you're in for a surprise.
Must Be Bored Again 3 years ago
AKA-the arm pit of California. Couple other towns get that name too. Bakersfield..........
#31
A Playground In Tokyo
Dahamada Jamawas 3 years ago
The fence in the back looks like the last kid managed to escape succesfully
Tom Hardeveld 3 years ago
what? No, squids need water to play in, there is no water here
Load More Replies...
Holy Cow Monkeys 3 years ago
Woah, Tokyo! Let's not spoil the kids will too much excitement now! Let's allow other parks to make kids happy too /s
#32
Even The Ocean Can Be Hell
Max Robitzsch 3 years ago
And I was wondering what was bothering me about the image (apart from the obvious). The fact that it is just a bit TOO clean and colourful. And that it is about to ramp itself aground in the shallows - turns out it's a marketing photoshop for a ship not yet completed.
Load More Replies... Tilly Jean 3 years ago
Each to their own for a holiday choice. Personally, this would be complete hell for me.
L hill 3 years ago
Me too. I couldnt imagine being stuck out in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of humans. Its bad enough we are stuck on earth in the cosmos ocean.
Load More Replies... 
Alexa Saltz 3 years ago
Why go on vacation to get away from it all if you are going to take it all with you?
M O'Connell 3 years ago
It's a floating tenement building, one systems malfunction away from leaving you knee-deep in sewage (read about the Carnival Triumph).
Load More Replies... General Anaesthesia 3 years ago (edited)
This is an artist's impression, the ship is scheduled to be completed in 2024. Environmentalists hope it's a titanic engineering failure.
#33
Pyongyang (North Korea) In 1992, Two Years Before A Famine That Killed Up To 15% Of The Country's Population
Kenneth McCartney 3 years ago
I have read recently that N. Korea has been building false cities to "fool" the rest of the world that they are in fact a first world country. They are like the little kid who tries to tell the other kids that he comes from a wealthy family, when everyone knows he is poor as mold.
Load More Replies...
Minath 3 years ago
The Kim family never run out of food. The current tyrant has European cheese imported for himself, he gets fatter while the citizens starve.
Bob La Capra 3 years ago
Idk about the whole imported cheese thing but he definitely looks like a guy who never misses a meal
Load More Replies... Vishy 3 years ago
Whoever wrote this article does not know that everyone is not allowed to live in cities. Only party officials and selected few for display purpose are permitted. This is not famine, this is the normal state of North Korean cities.
Khara Mei 3 years ago
This post is taken entirely from a subreddit called r/urbanhell. The titles on the images are the titles of the original threads. This is a photograph of a development in Pyongyang taken prior to the 90s famine, which was exacerbated by the collapse of NKs biggest supporter the USSR. That is literally all it is, all it is saying, and nothing more.
Load More Replies... Must Be Bored Again 3 years ago
Too bad we can't send our homeless to occupy all those empty apartments.
Mark Mendenhall 3 years ago
Look carefully. These are 10 to 12 plus floor buildings. There is not 24/7 electricity even in the capital. No Clothes dryers, central air or heating are only available to the influencial. Half the buildings may just be simply empty. Where are the parking garages.
#34
Singapore
Dre Mosley 3 years ago (edited)
This sucks, but there are some jaw dropping sites in Singapore though.
Fabian Chan 3 years ago
this is People’s Park Complex in the heart of Chinatown and it’s sitting on prime CBD estate. The owners are actually sitting on a goldmine. https://www.google.com/search?q=chinatown+people%27s+park+complex+flat&rlz=1C9BKJA_enSG767SG768&hl=en-GB&sxsrf=ALiCzsZGrqnmNbhAskqUMqfNzudq8jkGRw%3A1668959753542&ei=CU56Y-vbIK6YseMPob6J4Ac&oq=chinatown+people%27s+park+complex+flat&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAMyBQghEKABMgUIIRCgATIFCCEQoAE6CggAEEcQ1gQQsAM6BwgAELADEEM6DQguEMcBEK8BELADEEM6EAguEIAEEIcCEMcBEK8BEBQ6CggAEIAEEIcCEBQ6BQgAEIAEOggIABCABBDJAzoGCAAQFhAeSgQIQRgAUPcMWPMXYOApaAFwAHgAgAF2iAHEAZIBAzEuMZgBAKABAcgBCsABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp#imgrc=y8bqcW_5O2V0KM
Tsunami Bigwaves 3 years ago
I’m starting to see how lucky I am to live where I live. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than this.
#35
Somewhere In North Korea
LMS 3 years ago
They paint them this way on purpose for the buildings that visitors might see. Not so nice in the outskirts and farmlands.
Load More Replies... Jo314129 3 years ago
I can clearly see the 2 hands in the sculpture but what is the middle one suppsed to be?
K- THULU 3 years ago
Hammer, sickle and paintbrush..... Industrial workers, agrarian workers and artisans, I think? Though in reality slave, slave and slave....
Load More Replies... 
Mary Smith 3 years ago
At least they're using old shipping containers and making stuff from that /s
#36
Taroconte, Canary Islands, Spain
Official Cat 3 years ago
TBH this seems like a really innovative way to save space and doesn't look that bad compared to others on this list.
noodle said what 3 years ago
Imagine hearing cars drive above your head every day and night. Capitalism at its finest.
Stefaan De Clerck 3 years ago
People who love this are really brainwashed by the car industrie. The world should not be taken over by cars, roads and parking lots. :-(
Couldnt_find_a_decent_name 3 years ago
That’s kinda cool actually. Unless you’re the people on the top floor
Louie 3 years ago
Just wait and see what happens when a drunk driver falls off the edge of the road
Yeah, okay. 3 years ago
Mom! There's a drunk driver on our balcony again!
Load More Replies...
#37
Penchala Interchange, Kuala Lumpur (Repost)
Little Wonder 3 years ago
I don't even enjoy roundabouts, this would make my brain come out my nose.
Hetal Vyas 3 years ago
I've been on a train going through there, buying a ticket and figuring out which train goes where is so confusing!
#38
Cairo, Egypt - Wonderful City With Terrible Air Pollution
Hugh Cookson 3 years ago
Apart from the fact in a couple of hundred years they won't be there due to the stone being rotted by the fumes from the city ....
Load More Replies... ~MushroomFrog~ 3 years ago
That is sad. I want to see the earth before all of theese cars and stuff, like before global warming.
#39
Newly Built Kid's Playground In Trebišov, Slovakia
Marcela Mikulová 3 years ago (edited)
So this is not playground but resting area. Dunno why you made that Title.
Mary Lou 3 years ago
Don´t get the claim either. The wall makes it look off, but it´s not like chess boards and areas for people to just gather or have picknick sheltered from rain, are unknown in other places in the world...
Load More Replies... 
#40
Driving To Huaguoyuan, Guiyang, China
Dahamada Jamawas 3 years ago
I know these buildings from Sim City and it was always a clear sign "Your town has some serious problems"
#41
Portland, Oregon
Jo314129 3 years ago
Honestly this looks a lot safer than a lot of the homeless camps I have seen.
FakeOptimist 3 years ago
I have never seen one. Looks like a third world country.
Load More Replies...
Cynthia Carter 3 years ago
Our daughter has lived in Portland since 2006, last 10 years in a decently priced loft apartment, she wants to. move but can't afford to. The homeless issue is awful and she has seen it happen just within the last few years.
2picklesinabun 3 years ago
There are even homeless right next to freeways. This is just a camp. It is so much more widespread than this.
Hugh Cookson 3 years ago
This in the richest country in the World - shame on your politicians, shame on your billionaires and shame on each and every one of you who walks past this sort of s**t and does nothing about it !!!
PunkyMamma 3 years ago
Now I'm really curious... where are you from Hugh? How is homelessness prevented where you live?
Load More Replies...
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 3 years ago
It looks more like the campground at a music fest. Everything is in a neat little grid.
Zoe DiAnni 3 years ago
We gotta figure out a way to help people when they need it, not everyone on the street is there by choice (drugs) sometimes one or two paychecks and your screwed
#42
Alexandria Egypt
T Lee Mac 3 years ago
Looks like a domino. It’s waiting to be tapped to fall over.
Load More Replies... Bubbles and sparks 3 years ago
I remember when I was there spending some free time, the guide warned us to not come into contact with the water off the Nile as it's very dirty and polluted. We drove by with a bus, crossed it with a boat and there it was, the carcas of a cow, floating by... while not even 30 yards to the right, kids were playing in that same water. Every spat of water that touched me, I immediately desinfected but still I caught a bug that gave me diarrea and fever for a few days.
#43
Concrete Island, Hashima, Japan
K- THULU 3 years ago
Built on a tiny island, with the coal mine beneath it, extending under the sea floor..... Quite incredible really.....
Load More Replies...
DaisyGirl 3 years ago
Actually a mining Island and closed in 1974. As petroleum replaced coal in Japan in the 1960s, coal mines began shutting down across the country. Hashima's mines were no exception. Mitsubishi officially closed the mine in January 1974, and the island was cleared of inhabitants by April that year
EJN 3 years ago
This is old. It was originally a town built for a mining operation and then a military place. No one has lived there for a long time, the mines are not used anymore and so it exists as an archeological site. The history and involvement of Mitsubishi in the mining operations which used conscripted Korean and Manchurian people, is a black spot that cannot be cleansed.
#44
Being The Most Sparsely Populated Country In The World But Still Building Concrete Jungle Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
K- THULU 3 years ago
Foreign investment ,mainly.... Settle the mainly nomadic population and create a centralized workforce for industrialization......
Load More Replies...
Natalia Linnik 3 years ago
Ulaanbaatar Is the largest city in Mongolia, 1.3 mil people. Coldest capital city in the world, still mostly heated by coal, often missing basic necessities.
Lara Verne 3 years ago
Ulaanbaatar is capital city, apparently 50% of population live there, so it makes sense.
Siobhan Gournay 3 years ago
Sorry- 3rd most populated after Greenland and the Falkland Islands
Analyn Lahr 3 years ago
I don't think Genghis Khan would care for the design. He seemed like a more colorful and creative fellow.
Maxim Chervyakov 3 years ago
Because they let the Chinese do that and they do what they do best..
Noradrenaline 3 years ago
Iirc this is due to the geographic situation of Ulan Bator. The city is located in some sort of valley with elevated terrain around it. So there's no place to grow horizontally. Saw this recently on a documentary.
#45
Identical Single-Family Mcmansions
Kenneth McCartney 3 years ago
Sure. If I didn't have to associate with the neighbors.
Load More Replies... SCamp 3 years ago
Don’t know if this belongs in this list. There are some truly godforsaken places in this thread, this isn’t one
WindySwede 3 years ago
"I don't even have space for more than three cars, what a dilapidated mansion"
Load More Replies...
Laura Ketteridge 3 years ago
This is not urban hell. It might not be everyone's idea of a lovely place to give, but bet many of the people living in other places featured here would joyously jump at the chance to live here.
Shyla Bouche 3 years ago
Movin' on up? Not at all the kind of place I'd want to live. I couldn't find an apartment after prison, so my parents took everything they had, and bought a 750' house for me to rent. It's absolutely perfect for a woman and a growing kitten. A very fast-growing kitten, in fact.
#46
North Korea, Keasong
Dahamada Jamawas 3 years ago
That's quite the opposite of Sao Paulo - can't decide which road I'd prefer
Kenneth McCartney 3 years ago
Well, I would suggest ANYWHERE but North Korea
Load More Replies... Steve Robert 3 years ago
People can't afford cars but the government can afford to build nuclear bombs
Chickens are fluffy 3 years ago
Let's see, trees, no garage this is actually pretty well compared to most
Marilyn 3 years ago
One way to keep the streets clean. These idiots here need a lesson on what communism really is
Load More Replies... #47
Tong Lau, Hong Kong
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
But a f*****g nightmare to live in, especially if the walls are thin, your neighbors are loud, and the goddamned elevator breaks down all the time.
Load More Replies...
#48
Is It Considered An Urban Hell?
$cagsy 3 years ago
How rough is your neighbourhood? Well, they have steel bars protecting the steps. Protecting the steps from what? Exactly.
Aileen Stein 3 years ago
Probably to keep people from hanging out on the steps. If there's a drug problem in the neighborhood it would make sense.
Load More Replies...
Pittsburgh rare 3 years ago
I've seen lots of these in Mexico. Uncomfortable, but not the worst
#49
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - More Than 60% Of The Population Do Not Have Plumbing. Instead Rely On Outhouse Toilets & Communal Wells For Fresh Water. Hardly Any Paved Roads With Stray Dogs Lurking Around
Lyone Fein 3 years ago
Most of the population live in rural areas, so this headline is making their independent lifestyle sound like a bad situation. Also, many of those stray dogs are living out in the wild, not in cities.
Mr Red 3 years ago
But it says 'Ulaanbaatar' which is not a rural area I think.
Load More Replies... erinmophila_gibsonii 3 years ago
Stray dogs "lurking" = abandoned dogs trying to survive 🤷♀️🤔
#50
It's Just Infrastructure
Nasren Jak 3 years ago
No, it is Oberhausen-Germany, close to Dusseldorf and Netherlands.
Load More Replies... #51
A Gas Station With 120 Pumps
Chucky Cheezburger 3 years ago
That would be my guess. We recently went to one... Noped out after 5 minutes. Took longer to get in and out of the parking lot than getting gas from the lil station across the street.
Load More Replies... charli 3 years ago
wouldn't this lead to a lot of people stealing petrol because they don't want to walk all the way to the building?
A. HAM 3 years ago
Not at all. Gas pumps in the US don’t work unless you swipe a credit card, or you pay in the building first and the cashier turns the pump on for the amount you paid.
Load More Replies...
Dr.Bright 3 years ago
I love bucees , the cleanest gas station bathrooms I've ever seen, and basically a grocery store inside. Great place to restock and recharge during a road trip
WoodenLion 3 years ago
too expensive inside - just a few year long fad. the restrooms are outstanding though.
Load More Replies... #52
Bkk Building At Budapest
Patty Corbett 3 years ago
My grandmother was born there. I’ve always wanted to go there but I don’t know how they feel about Americans. I’m sad to see this area look bad.
Cherry M 3 years ago (edited)
It’s just a building that needs renovation, and many in Budapest do. Bkk is the railway, so these are just offices (govt founded at that). Surely it’s not high on the list to undergo a full modernisation. There are many, however, that look great, and even more that look mediocre. This is the case in most big european cities. And Hungarians feel about americans just like most Europeans do. Also, they won’t know unless you tell them.
Load More Replies...
#53
Clifton Beach, The Whole Shot
DonnerDinnerParty 3 years ago
Hey!! This is on this list but as a closeup of the guy standing on the trashy beach and another seemingly frolicking in the water
John Watson 3 years ago
That's why they put 'the whole shot' in the title 😋
Load More Replies... 
#54
Average Parking Space Outside Apartments In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Senjo Krane 3 years ago
Maybe they all just leave their keys in and averyone takes whichever car can get out.
Load More Replies...
a fruity dream of delusion 3 years ago
this looks like something i would play on coolmathgames in 4th grade.
TKA 3 years ago
I’m 42 and still like playing that type of game when I come across it
Load More Replies...
#55
Powai Hills Separating Rural And Urban Mumbai
Ray McArdle 3 years ago
Are there physical barriers to stop the poor folks from wandering into the rich areas?
#56
Someone Robbed The Building And Only Left The Facade
Dani Pret 3 years ago
I've seen other posts where they build a fake front to hide what's behind to keep the street asthetically pleasing. I love this idea. Not sure if this is one of them. It looks so real
Load More Replies...
#57
Łódz, Poland
Senjo Krane 3 years ago
If it wasn't rust colored it would be OK. Poor unicorn doesn't belong there.
#58
An Agricultural Field In Balashikha, Russia That Was Turned Into Housing Estate
Brocken Blue 3 years ago
The building as a while, yes. Your new friend’s apartment? Not so much
Load More Replies...
#59
Rush Hour In Dhaka, Bangladesh
Gustav Gallifrey 3 years ago
I've beento Dhaka. Never so glad to leave a place, and that includes places where i was shot at.
#60
Kriviy, Rih
roz 3 years ago
FYI "Kryvyi Rih is the largest city in central Ukraine, the 7th most populous city in Ukraine and the 2nd largest by area." (Wikipedia)
Fred L. 3 years ago
Guess lots of those statistics will have to be updated once the war is over.
Load More Replies... Max Robitzsch 3 years ago
Various industrial processes leave over flammable gases. Not an expert as to whether it's truly the case, but it's deemed safer / healthier to burn it off than just to vent it (and clearly no capitalist has found a way to make money of the left-over gas yet).
Load More Replies...
#61
Ice Hell
PattyK 3 years ago
If it’s the building I think it was, the outside temperature was so low that the water from the fire hoses froze as soon as it hit the building; some water even froze in the air as it came out of the fire hoses.
Load More Replies... 
#62
Athens, Greece
a fruity dream of delusion 3 years ago
WOW. it’s hard to comprehend the sheer size of that city, that’s insane.
VM37 3 years ago (edited)
Well the city has beem there for thousands of years, give then a break. St least the air seems clear
Kosnian 3 years ago (edited)
Nah, Athens became like that after WWII , the "old part" of the town which is very dense is mostly multistory buildings but all the rest is often small 2-3 story houses or urban villas. In the 60s and 70s they pushed people own their houses , but without proposing city planning, hence the chaotic urbanization. Oh and no building can be higher than the acropolis, with the exception of 4 highrises that are far from the center and were built in the 60s
Load More Replies...
Lisa McCourt 3 years ago
Athens was such a dirty city when I was there. I was very disappointed. Of course, Greece was experiencing a major economic downturn at the time. Delphi was amazing though!!
Fabian Bernard 3 years ago
Also one of the most pollutated city in Europe. Been there in 1987 and 1988, it was even worse without regulations on leaded fuel and emissions, became ill because of that, we had to leave the city
#63
Do People Live Here?
You Do You 3 years ago
This is deceiving, there’s a shopping center, hotel, movie theater, multiple restaurants, etc. it has solar power to help with electricity, there are dedicated wetlands around that have been preserved, you can get there by trains etc. they didn’t just build a stadium unlike most sporting arenas. LA’ s recent new complex followed suit and built more than just a sporting stadium
Tenacious Squirrel 3 years ago
Sounds like they should have built a multi-storey car park and saved a huge amount of land. I notice large countries (like the US, Canada, Australia) tend to build a lot single storey. In smaller countries we’re used to trying to save land and build upwards. Carparks definitely need to go upwards not outwards.
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
In Australia we often have single story car parks if there is not as much traffic estimated, but we have lots of multi-story ones for higher traffic areas, like shopping centres. It depends on what the council approves too.
Load More Replies... Tiger Lilly 3 years ago
Think of all the trees and animals they displaced for this waste of space!
#64
I Found This In My Camera Roll, I Think It Was From Brazil
Jo314129 3 years ago
I wish I visited so many places that I could not even be sure where my pictures were taken.
General Anaesthesia 3 years ago (edited)
"If it's Tuesday this must be Belgium, if it's Wednesday this must be Rome..." - Bojoura https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHRmLu8lkAw
Load More Replies...
#65
Hell
Markus Holstein 3 years ago
Hell is empty, and all the devils are here. - William Shakespeare
Load More Replies... 
#66
College Dormitory Of Vit, Vellore, India
Bubbles and sparks 3 years ago
At least they have a decent place to live in. Many students can't even find housing.
#67
A Bunch Of Bollards Blocking A Shared Use Path In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
DEW 3 years ago
I can see if they put these up so people don't park on the corner but remove the two center ones that are blocking the ramps.
Khara Mei 3 years ago (edited)
This is Kuala Lumpur. It's to stop motorcycles driving down the path, very common. There needs to be another solution for open use that doesn't allow motorcycles to cruise the path, the bikers hurt people.
Load More Replies... #68
Falowiec (“The Waveform”), The Longest Building In Europe. Gdańsk, Poland
Jo314129 3 years ago
It'd be awesome if they had an elevator that goes from one end of the building to the other.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 3 years ago
I would prefer to travel one end to the other by catapult.
Load More Replies... 
#69
A Highway Bridge Across A Beach In Naha, Japan
patricia patricia 3 years ago
The ten-day traffic jam was in China, not Japan
Load More Replies... Leonardo Colle 3 years ago
i cant imagine how the older generations, that used to enjoy the beach feel about it now.
#70
Suburban Meets Nature
DonnerDinnerParty 3 years ago
Yeah, I don't see any nature here. Like, at all. Everything here has been man-made
#71
Took This From A Plane Over Dallas, Tx
Louie 3 years ago
I mean it might not be exciting or strikingly beautiful but I don’t get what’s so hellish about it
charli 3 years ago
i think it's because these houses are all really similar and there's just so many being built? i don't know lol
Load More Replies...
Ruth Kilpatrick 2 years ago
Little boxes on the hillside Little boxes made of ticky tacky Little boxes on the hillside Little boxes all the same There's a pink one and a green one And a blue one and a yellow one And they're all made out of ticky tacky And they all look just the same
#72
Metro Manila , Philippines (Btw The River Is Brown)
The Happy Hijabi 3 years ago
I don't know about Manila, but not all brown rivers are polluted. So before you judge a city based on that, please remember that. Brisbane River for instance nicknamed the Brown Snake because it is naturally brown from silt and stuff found there. So yeah...
#73
Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Where The 5th Largest Oil Refinery In America Is Right Behind The State Legislature And Downtown
Christof Irran 3 years ago
I am not concerned much about a state legislator's cancer, since he/she has voting power over what's going on behind his/her office.
Load More Replies... #74
Belfast, Northern Ireland. 1973
#75
Light Pollution? What’s That?
HumptyFrumpy 3 years ago
Ahmedabad, a city with roughly 8 million people in western part of India
Apatheist Account2 3 years ago
At least in the UK we're starting to get more street lights that only point downwards.
#76
North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Looks 3 years ago
I agree, not too many homes in North Philly are three stories.
Load More Replies... #77
One Of Many "Slums" Or "Informal Areas" Of Cairo, Egypt
Gourdeous 3 years ago
It's to do with taxes paid- you don't pay until the roof is on, so often an unfinished 'floor' is left on the top...
Load More Replies...
#78
Bangalore, South India
MSL 3 years ago
In Bangalore, As an incentive to the general polulation, government has enabled free high speed Internet hotspot sso that they can work while stuck in the traffic. This is how the IT capital of India still continues to be the IT capital. :)
Stardust she/her 3 years ago
Despite living there I’ve never heard of that. Maybe it’s cause I’m not aware of most things going on
Load More Replies... Stardust she/her 3 years ago
Some of my relatives live near here and it’s such a headache to go through the Bangalore traffic especially during the weekends or holidays
#79
Impressive Engineering Footbridge
Lyone Fein 3 years ago
I am not impressed. It takes 4x longer to use this footbridge. It's great for wheelchair users. But many walkers (kids) will skip it because it is so long.
Max Robitzsch 3 years ago
I designed a few of these for a project in India (never got built). When your roads get busy enough that pedestrians can't cross anymore (not quite the case here... yet) then you need these. And you know you have failed to build a city for people.
DEW 3 years ago
Why didn't they just do a straight line? There is only two openings so the U shaped bridge seems unnecessary.
Tiggy Darling 3 years ago
Pedestrian bridges aren't built for pedestrians. They're built for the benefit of drivers who don't want to stop for pedestrians.
FakeOptimist 3 years ago
Reminds me of when politicians and construction company owners knew each other too well ...
#80
I Really Wish This One Specific Bit Of Scaffolding Didn't Have A Samsung Advert [barcelona, 2022]
![I Really Wish This One Specific Bit Of Scaffolding Didn't Have A Samsung Advert [barcelona, 2022]](https://www.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/637252ed6dd9e_wrckccjvhgs91-png__700.jpg "I Really Wish This One Specific Bit Of Scaffolding Didn't Have A Samsung Advert [barcelona, 2022]")
John Topper 3 years ago
Who approved advertising on the sagrada familia? It's like putting bumper stickers on a Phantom, you just don't do it.
Max Robitzsch 3 years ago
Probably just temporary advertising. Unless you got a lot of money for construction / maintenance, the ad money must be tempting for such projects.
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 3 years ago
Even worse than when they put the advert for a big horse race (and the gamboling on it) on the Sydney Opera House!
Sebastian M 3 years ago
Which whiner posted this? Bumper sticker on a Phantom? This is at best a Fiat Multipla.
#81
Yangtze River In Chongqing, China, 2016
Christof Irran 3 years ago
Too much of it sucked out upstream to provide the megapolis with water.
Load More Replies... #82
Post Soviet Georgian Urban Hell
#83
Canary Wharf, London
Vicki Doggurl 3 years ago
I think I see the Salem’s and cyber men fighting! Delete! Exterminate!!
#84
Welcome To Post-Soviet Tbilisi
RoanTheMad 3 years ago
Especially countries that were part of the Eastern Bloc /Soviet Union.
Load More Replies... #85
2814 Getting Louder
K- THULU 3 years ago
Not sure but it might be a cyberpunk/bladerunner reference?
Load More Replies...
#86
The West Point Township In Monrovia, Liberia, One Of The Most Dangerous Place In The World
#87
North Philly
Lee Henderson 3 years ago
Most are completely gutted inside. No plumbing, electrical wiring, etc.
Hello Dolly 3 years ago
Think that’s bad read the article where they said they cleared out text encampments. Then go on YouTube and see where they have not in fact cleared out the tent encampments. Same for Seattle.
#88
Taipei, Taiwan
Cold Eagle 3 years ago
Unless it's a search light from a chopper. It's the sun. Right? Right??
Load More Replies...
#90
Belfast Northern Ireland Last Year
#91
Los Angeles By Plane. No End In Sight
Christof Irran 3 years ago
Was there in September of 1988. The pollution was such that it made my hair sticky; almost as if someone had poured syrup into it. It was hard to get out with shampooing. I have never been back since.
WoodenLion 3 years ago
been a lot of places everywhere, except there-no desire to ever go. probably nice for some but not for me.
Leslie Donsen 3 years ago
First time I flew in it was nighttime. It looked like a never-ending ocean of lights.
#92
[chihuahua, Mexico] Help, It's Spreading To Our Country (Is This Suburban Or Urban Hell, Or Rather Fuck Cars Material?)
![[chihuahua, Mexico] Help, It's Spreading To Our Country (Is This Suburban Or Urban Hell, Or Rather Fuck Cars Material?)](https://www.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/637255373b4c2_sxyv1xj6ean91__700.jpg "[chihuahua, Mexico] Help, It's Spreading To Our Country (Is This Suburban Or Urban Hell, Or Rather Fuck Cars Material?)")
Angela B 3 years ago
*gets blanket for sleeping censor..... ssssshhhhhhhh*
Load More Replies... RoanTheMad 3 years ago
i cant read the word "chihuahua" without also hearing "duu du duu du DU" in my head thanks to that one song
#93
So Many Broken Down Cables
Gustav Gallifrey 3 years ago
That's just insulation. Someone has pulled all of wiring out of the abandoned building, and stripped out the copper. It's a mess, though.
Alexandria Tyme 3 years ago
Stripped of the copper to sell, idiots do it to train lines and signal boxes here in the UK. Not only running the risk of killing themselves but endangering trains, people and creating huge delays
#94
Close To Athens City Center
#95
New York City During The Great Blizzard Of 1888
DonnerDinnerParty 3 years ago
Those wires 😳 I'm glad the U.S caught up with wire management sooner rather than later
Hello Dolly 3 years ago
After seeing this and seeing the posts about India it just makes me wonder what the underground where we bury our cables looks like. It must be wild. Is it hard to access?
#96
Coming Back Home In Uttar Pradesh
#98
The Sketchiest Hotel I Stayed In
Dre Mosley 3 years ago (edited)
Wouldn't even know it was a hotel had you not told me. I see the sign says "Hotel," but still.
CCAA Colonia 3 years ago
I think Erbil, northern Iraq. There isa Bazaar called Qaysari and achotel close it.
Load More Replies... K- THULU 3 years ago
Zoomed in on hotel sign and the writing seems to be arabic so possibly Egypt?
Load More Replies... #99
Circle Jerk (Punta Gorda, FL)
Alfred Hitchcock 3 years ago
Yes it was on 60 minutes. Its the only town to survive with no damage
Load More Replies... Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 3 years ago
OMG that name. If you speak Spanish you know what those words mean.
#100
Texas, Can You Not? Plano, Texas. Photo Credit David Hawkins
Dre Mosley 3 years ago
Texas is just soooo damn big, that it's overwhelming at times. It's almost awe inspiring, lol.
Nathan Pogorzala 3 years ago
at the railroad crossing, when the train is gone.
Load More Replies... #101
Cookie Cutter Apartment Living: Gwangju, South Korea
#102
😐
#103
Seoul Apartments
Hello Dolly 3 years ago
Prison apartments…?? Nvm I think even prisons have those tiny little windows.
#104
The Sidewalk Where You Have To Walk Sideways, Philippines
#105
Manila Philippines
#106
Electric Post On A Road In The Philippines. Some Absurdity Looks Photoshopped
DonnerDinnerParty 3 years ago
Is it bad I find it funny that someone actually hit the pole though 😂🤷🏼
Jodi Rinker 3 years ago
having reached the last photo all i can think is how much of this is poverty when billionaires exist. sad
#107
"An Astonishing Architectural Triumph" Or "The Worst Building Of The Year." 15 Clerkenwell Close, London Ec1
#108
Bike Lane In Clichy, North Of Paris
Stefaan De Clerck 3 years ago
Not surprisingly, that cyclist takes his chance on the street and ignores the cycle path.
#109
Holy Church Of Lidl
Cherry M 3 years ago
It is a grocery store, just the building complex is pretty weird. The store itself is in a bigger one right next to this one, this is in the parking lot (Szeged, Hungary).
Load More Replies... #110
Me Taking A Picture Of A Man Taking A Picture Of A Seagull Eating Garbage
#111
New York City, US
#112
Moscow, Russia In 2022
K- THULU 3 years ago
Right now? I'm afraid the oppressive vibe has been happening there for a while.....
Load More Replies... Nathan Pogorzala 3 years ago
Does the sign say "die without training, die without your mother knowing where you are buried"?
#113
The Downtown Connector In Atlanta During Rush Hour
#114
Ads To Sportive Bet Companies In Front Of A Highschool In Romania, Buvharest
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
The Australian government is considering bringing in a law that betting ads can't be within a certain distance of places children frequent, such as parks, shopping centres and school. I really hope it passes.
#115
Ahmedabad, Has The Potential Of Being The Biggest City You Never Heard Of
#116
Down In Ohio
Alewa 3 years ago
Even though there's more greenery now I think the point they are trying to make is that it used to be residential an commercial buildings and now it's 2/3 car parks and highways.
Load More Replies... 
Alexandria Tyme 3 years ago
What's with all the car parks, get rid of half and have an actual park.
#117
How Could Anyone Ever Want To Live Here?
Alicat Wombat 3 years ago (edited)
In answer to your question, please see the preceding 101 photos
#118
Tulsa, Oklahoma
The Darkest Timeline 3 years ago
It’s bland but at least it’s clean and not overrun with traffic
Lisa H 3 years ago
Yep. As much as I love living in California, I could do without trash EVERYWHERE. Some people do clean up some of it, but it just accumulates all over again.
Load More Replies... Dre Mosley 3 years ago (edited)
Not seeing a problem here. Maybe the person is just not a fan of Oklahoma in general?
Lisa H 3 years ago
It looks like it gets pretty stifling in the summer heat due to all the concrete and asphalt, plus, I'm not seeing much nature. I can get behind this one.
Load More Replies... OmBoyGanesh 3 years ago
So, my (former; semi-retired) career was in a corporate position with a national flagship airline that flies to 163 destinations in 116 countries & dependencies. Because of the nature of my job, I travelled to several locations in the 46 countries we flew our fleet (not code-shared) & had hubs/gates. The real benefit of my 30 years with them was I get to fly non-revenue for personal travel. I’ve been to so many of the places on this list and have a somewhat educated opinion. It’s not about the dystopian hellscape that can be found in London or LA, Torino or Tahiti, Reykjavik or Rishikesh. It’s all about the culture, the people and the communities they create. I’ve volunteered in the slums of Mumbai and the senior Shangri-la of Sun City. The common thread no matter how horrible the aesthetics and quality of life can be, people are pretty fücking amazing. They create “home” and “family” in the most adverse of places. There’s sketchiness everywhere. But there’s also love & kindness.
SlightlyTarnished 3 years ago
Tulsa is, on the whole, a fairly interesting city, quit a lot of interesting architecture (particularly Art Deco built during the oil boom), beautiful well kept neighborhoods of older homes close to downtown, walkable, nice neighborhood restaurants and cafes, well supported arts and museums, not congested, can be in the countryside in minutes, and it is clean....
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Just got back from overseas, and found that the urban hellscape there considerred "average" is what the US would think of as LA's worst. Sooooo..... Be grateful for what you have, but don't scorn the people who live in these places. They'd like better, too. It's not always as easy as "make a wish".
Caro Caro 3 years ago
Wait!, you were in the area and you didn't pop by ? ;) I agree, we are very lucky.
Load More Replies... JustinTime 3 years ago (edited)
During my time in the Military I was in a lot of bad places. For my job back in the US I’ve worked in a lot of bad places. A few conclusions I came to- 1. Most people in power shouldn’t be in power. 2. A lot of people shouldn’t be allowed to have kids. 3. For some places a meteorite slamming in to it and starting over is the only answer.
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Any gathering of politicians comes to mind for me... Takes care of all three conditions, IMO.
Load More Replies...
David Paterson 3 years ago
None of these is a bad as Beirut during the civil war, and more recently. Lebanese-C...842529.jpg 
Okatango 3 years ago
Ok, this felt almost voyeuristic. I am humbled and grateful for where I live but we really need to start planning with the understanding that we are all hurtling through space together on one little ball. Today's news about rich countries literally paying others to help them with environmental issues was a good first step. This is how I want to see my tax dollars being spent.
Lisa H 3 years ago
Victorville, California should also be on this list. Easily the most depressing place I have ever driven through.
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Hinton, West Virginia for me. And that says a lot, given where else I've been...
Load More Replies... Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Just got back from overseas, and found that the urban hellscape there considerred "average" is what the US would think of as LA's worst. Sooooo..... Be grateful for what you have, but don't scorn the people who live in these places. They'd like better, too. It's not always as easy as "make a wish".
Caro Caro 3 years ago
Wait!, you were in the area and you didn't pop by ? ;) I agree, we are very lucky.
Load More Replies... JustinTime 3 years ago (edited)
During my time in the Military I was in a lot of bad places. For my job back in the US I’ve worked in a lot of bad places. A few conclusions I came to- 1. Most people in power shouldn’t be in power. 2. A lot of people shouldn’t be allowed to have kids. 3. For some places a meteorite slamming in to it and starting over is the only answer.
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Any gathering of politicians comes to mind for me... Takes care of all three conditions, IMO.
Load More Replies... David Paterson 3 years ago
None of these is a bad as Beirut during the civil war, and more recently. Lebanese-C...842529.jpg
Okatango 3 years ago
Ok, this felt almost voyeuristic. I am humbled and grateful for where I live but we really need to start planning with the understanding that we are all hurtling through space together on one little ball. Today's news about rich countries literally paying others to help them with environmental issues was a good first step. This is how I want to see my tax dollars being spent.
Lisa H 3 years ago
Victorville, California should also be on this list. Easily the most depressing place I have ever driven through.
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Hinton, West Virginia for me. And that says a lot, given where else I've been...
Load More Replies...
Related on Bored Panda
