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People On This Group Are Sharing Examples Of ‘Urban Hell’ That Look Like A Dystopian Movie But Are Sadly Real (40 New Pics)
4.2 billion people live in cities worldwide. That's more than half of the population. By 2050, it's projected that more than two-thirds of us will reside in urban areas.
But denser doesn't mean better. This environment can pose a lot of challenges, including noise and air pollution, lack of green spaces, and inadequate transport. And there's a photography subreddit that documents them.
It's called 'Urban Hell' and the people running it say it's dedicated to "all the hideous places human beings built or inhabit." They invite us to go there for aesthetic appreciation of the darker side of the cities, towns, and villages in our world, promising rural and suburban curses as well. So let's do that and take a look at the pictures that have recently popped up within the subreddit.
For more, check out Bored Panda's earlier articles on it here and here.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Dhaka, Bangladesh
RELATED:
#2
This Is The Most Apocalyptic Image Of Modern Cairo, Egypt, I Have Ever Seen Anyone Take
DennyS (denzoren) 3 years ago
If I saw this without the pyramids in the background, I'd tell you it was from an apocalyptic movie.
Of course, city living has a lot to offer. From local coffee shops and restaurants to attending cultural events and meeting people from diverse backgrounds, spending your days in a metropolis can be exciting.
But some of the issues that are evident in these pictures don't just look bad. They also damage our health. And we're not talking about minor annoyances. Constant stimulation from a busy city living can take a big toll on your mental well-being.
#3
The Before And The After Of My Hometown, Hungary
#4
One Of My Most Hated Buildings Finally Got Destroyed And Replaced By Something Beautiful
Compared to rural residents, researchers have discovered that urbanites are 21 percent more likely to have anxiety disorders and 39 percent more likely to have mood disorders. A 2017 meta-analysis also found that rates of the following conditions were also higher among those living in urban areas:
- PTSD;
- anger management;
- generalized anxiety disorder.
The same was true for more serious disorders like schizophrenia and paranoia.
#6
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
#7
There's Cities, There's Metropolises, And Then There's Tokyo
Psychiatrists think it's because the constant stimulation of city life can put you in difficult situations where you get the fight-or-flight response, which in turn alters how you cope with stress.
But the problems don't end there. City living can also chip away at your psychological immune system, which can be precarious for those with a family history of mental illness. According to experts, this environmental stress can increase their risk of developing a psychiatric condition, such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder.
#8
50 Lane Traffic Jam - China
#9
(Oc) Hebron’s Multi-Story Borders: Ground-Level Palestinians Construct Fences Above Their Streets To Protect Themselves From Upper-Story Israeli Settlers Who Throw Trash, Furniture, And Rocks Down On Them
#10
Concrete Canyon In Manhattan
Nunya Business 3 years ago
I've never been to a city so large that the buildings block out the sun. I think I'll keep it that way.
#11
18000 People In A Single Building. (Saint Petersburg, Russia)
But even though urban life may lead to emotional distress, shame and stigma can stop young adults from talking about their struggles. This may explain why they feel lonelier than older generations, according to a Cigna study. What's more, young adults, especially millennials, often feel burned out.
Some folks view them as incompetent adults who shy away from responsibility, but as Anne Helen Peterson explained to Buzzfeed, millennials have "errand paralysis" and think they should always be working.
#12
Lagos, Nigeria - The Overcrowding Is Terrible
#13
Egypt, What Is Wrong With You?
#14
Newly Built Housing. Samara, Russia
#15
Saint Petersburg, Russia
adiiantryx 3 years ago
these type of compact apartment townships are becoming quite popular throughout the world
City life can also affect our physical health. A 2017 study suggests too much exposure to air pollution and city noise may cause damage to a person's cardiovascular health.
For instance, never-ending traffic noise may interfere with our sleep quality and cause cortisol, the stress hormone, to spike. Over time, elevated levels of this hormone can increase our risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
#16
Do Not Show Partiality To The Poor Or Favoritism To The Great, But Judge Your Neighbor Fairly
#17
New Residential Block In Malaysia
#18
View From The Bathroom Window, Belgrade
Red rockin lobster 3 years ago (edited)
When I lived in Belgrade, I had a similar view from the bathroom. Maybe some won't understand, but for me it was nice. I knew everone who lived around, it was cosy and safe. The feeling of home, if you thought of asking for toilet paper, I'm sure someone would throw it to you through the window. The outer side od buildngs where the rooms, kitchen and living are, had an open view. Kinda miss it
#19
Why Does Delhi Looks So Dystopian
It also seems urban dwellers may be more prone to insomnia and sleep difficulties. In a survey of more than 15,000 individuals, researchers found that the bright lights of a city can dampen a person's ability to get a good night's rest.
According to the survey, 6 percent of people living in highly lit, urban areas slept less than six hours each night. Furthermore, 29 percent of these urbanites were dissatisfied with the quality of their nighttime rest.
#20
Christmas In Grimsby City Centre, UK
#21
Infinite Amount Of Concrete…
#22
"Ocean Access" + Suburbs In Florida
#23
It's Hard To Capture In Two Photos, But Here Is A Brand New KFC Sat In The Middle Of Cleared Rainforest In Malaysia, Ready For A Development To Be Built Around It
#24
Trying To Cross The Street? Bummer. The Street Is Only For Cars. Tehran
#25
A Lovely Day For A Picnic...
JJ 3 years ago
As someone who grew up in a big coal and industry city in between other big coal and industry cities, I can relate and say that those small green spots and the view on industry are not as bad as this picture seems. You get used to it and if you move, you kind of even miss it. It has some weird sense of peace.
#26
Each Of Those Houses With A Garden Are £1+ Million. The Grass In All Gardens Is Astroturf
#27
A Homeless Man Sleeps Next To A 50 Gallon Drum Of Burning Scavenged Wood In Front Of The World Trade Center Under Construction, New York City, 1970
#28
Vorkuta, Russia. The Coldest City In Europe (Lowest Temperature Ever Recorded At -52 C)
#29
Jakarta's Chinatown 1940s vs. Now
Final score:
112points
#30
No Need To Worry, Elite Architects Were At Work Here
#31
Advertisement On A Commercial Building, South Korea
#32
One Of The Worst Traffic And Pollution In The World. Tehran, Iran
#33
I Just Want To Get To The Other Side Of The Highway Man
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
In the Netherlands it's the other way round. You can get anywhere in a city in 5 minutes by bicycle, but it will take you 30 minutes by car to get there.
#34
A Spiral Parking Lot Somewhere In Chongqing, China
#35
Duisburg, Also Known As The Ugliest City In Germany
#36
The Entrance To A Shopping Mall That Is Still Alive And Well, Despite The Visual Evidence To The Contrary
#37
One More Lane Will Solve This. Cairo
Tristan Kenyon 3 years ago
The sign says Carve Your Getaway. , Yup gonna need to carve out of that traffic 🙄
#38
An Apartment In Istanbul Is Attached To Another Building
#39
Abu Eir, Alexandria, Egypt
#40
White And Beige Nebraska *oc
#41
Florence (Italy) vs. Interchange In Atlanta (USA) - Same Scale
#42
Oakland, California
#43
The Grand Castle Apartment Building In Grandville Michigan. Contains 520 Units, And A Design Based Off Of Neuschwanstein Castle. It Is The Second Largest Castle Structure In The World. More Details In Comments
#44
Nice Cage Bro
Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
Part of me is currently wondering if those cages are to stop people leaping to their deaths because living here is just that depressing.
#45
Office Park In Austin, Texas. Car Culture Is Cancer
#46
Dhaka, Bangladesh. Thanks To This Dreadful Transportation Situation, Most Of Dhaka's Nearly 15 Million Inhabitants Are Unable To Commute From Outside The City, And Many Are Forced To Endure Slum Conditions Within City Limits Just To Be Able To Get To Work
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
Or, and I know it's a wild idea, just obey traffic rules instead of driving like a self-centered idiot.
#47
Evergrande’s Handiwork
#48
Abandoned Buildings In Norilsk In Siberia
#49
Marseille, France
#50
This Whole City Has Sidewalks That Just End Like This
DUN DUN (she/her) 3 years ago
"I can be of help only till here. From now on it's you on your own. Good luck! " Click here to continue.
#51
Housing Solutions Built In The Late 70s, Sofia, Bulgaria.
#52
Hotel Cecil In Los Angeles, California
#53
Elevated Highway In Central Hong Kong
#54
All Workers Will Enjoy A 30 Minute Lunch (Manchester, UK)
#55
La Grande Borne, Grigny. One Of The Poorest And Most Dangerous Places In The Whole Of Metropolitan France
Hannah Edwards 3 years ago
It looks like a breath of fresh air after the slums and high rise blocks on the other posts.
#56
Residential District Outside Of Dubai
#57
In The Middle Of A Dystopian Looking Suburb In Querétaro
#58
Kolkata Street Scene, India
#59
1/10 Of Seattle's Apartments Are Empty. There Is No Excuse For People Having To Live Like This
Briana Kessler 3 years ago
That's because rent is so outrageous. You can't find anything below 2k.
#60
Surreal Imagery In Chengde City, Hebei Province
#61
Depressingly Small Windows Of An Apartment Building In Daegu, South Korea
#62
Downtown Denver 1970s
#63
Highways In Dubai
#64
Kwun Tong, Hong Kong
#65
Western Sydney Sprawl
#67
Austin, Texas Suburb
#68
The Pruitt-Igoe Slums In St. Louis. There's A Great Documentary About This Urban Hell Called The Pruitt-Igoe Myth
#69
Amanauz Hotel, Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia
#70
Horseshoe Interchange, Dallas, Texas
Cactus McCoy 3 years ago
Legends say there are people cruising here for 20 years, only stopping to get gas and collect their mail.
#71
If This Ain't Urban Hell Then Tell Me What It Is. Photo Credits : @mazterz On Ig
Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
When your building reminds people of Judge Dredd, something has clearly gone wrong.
#72
Interchange In The Chinese City Of Chongqing
#73
The So-Called Palm Islands, In Dubai, Uae, Are Made Out To Be A Luxurious Location, But There's Been A Lot Of Talk About How They Are Hosting Foul Algal Growth At Levels Exceeding All Expectations
#74
Three Circles Of Hell: Suburban Strip Mall Hell, Rusty Industrial Hell, Comcast Corporate Hell
#75
New Development (Up) vs. Old Communism Development (Down) - Romania
#76
Saw On A Car Ad Today (Calgary Ab)
#77
Cape Coral, Florida
#78
Welcome To Mobile, Alabama
#79
Blok P, Nuuk. Once Housed 1% Of Greenland's Entire Population
#80
My Town Is Mostly Upper Class But This Is Our Subway. Absolutely Brutal
#81
In Large Quantities Bicycle Parking Creates An Somewhat Hellish Environment, Tho Much Better Than Car Parking
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
It's just a bicycle parking in the Netherlands. In the same space where you can park 20 cars, you can park hundreds of bicycles.
#82
Local Shop In Ferguslie Park, Paisley, The Area Is Notorious For High Levels Of Crime And Poverty, Being Named As The Most Deprived Area In Scotland Twice
#83
This Parking Lot In The Middle Of An Avenue, With No Crosswalks Connecting To It. (Gardena (Los Angeles), California, USA) (Copied From My Post On R/Suburbanhell)
#84
Fake City Used By The Us Military To Train Troops
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
Strange how the US military has fake cities to play war games but there isn't any money for real cities for the homeless.
#85
Stairs To Nowhere
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Demi Zwaan 3 years ago
Most of these pictures give me anxiety. So many people, so cramped, I'd die. I'm already stressed about having to deal with one neighbour, I can't imagine having to deal with so many people.
Devil's Advocate 3 years ago
As depressing as the number of homeless Americans in full time employment?
Load More Replies...
Anna Snorrepot 3 years ago
We are too many. Make child-free the norm. Children are luxury bones.
OnlyMyOpinion 3 years ago
Yes Anna. My thoughts exacrtly. Too many humans. I am child-free, 38.
Load More Replies...
Isabella 3 years ago
Simple observation to all those pictures is "humans are too much" - in case of poorer countries - too much humans in general. Less childrem = less crowd. Noone needs 17 children. - in case of Murrica - too much cars and too much square meters of housing per person. You do not need McMansion and 4 cars for one family of 3.
Rissie 3 years ago
17 children is hardly the standard. Cities grow bigger, because we want things. It's what we do, we live and we want things and then we die. There's no use deary. It just is.
Load More Replies...
Lovin' Life 3 years ago
This was so depressing. I am very thankful for where I live, something I take for granted every day.
marianne eliza 3 years ago (edited)
"By 2050, it's projected that more than two-thirds of us will reside in urban areas." Because we will have paved over so much more of our lands. The only way to stop this is birth control. Free birth of any type to anyone and everyone who wants it. No lectures, no pamphlets, no sermons, no questions. That could save the planet and our species.
Izzy Curer 3 years ago (edited)
That, and putting iron oxide in the ocean's dead zones. Fertilizer and manure end up in the ocean every year, adding extra nitrogen and etc. But iron only gets into the ocean at the normal rate. Plants, like algae, need both. They use up all the nitrogen and run out of iron. So, adding iron would super-charge the ocean's ability to produce oxygen and trap Co2. Currently, the ocean is already where we get most of our oxygen and stuff, so this would be huge
Load More Replies...
The Penguin Bandit 3 years ago
I feel like there's no way someone can argue that climate change is a myth or that humans aren't affecting the planet any more than Mother Nature with these pictures. It seems like right here is the very exact irrefutable proof of our negative and altering effect on the planet... But I know the are those out there who will still deny it with every ounce of their faith and conviction.
Pittsburgh rare 3 years ago
Brutalist architecture should be torn down and rebuilt in a more human way
Briana Kessler 3 years ago (edited)
This makes me glad I bought the lot beside my house, so I could build absolutely nothing on it!
RoseTheMad 3 years ago
You SHOULD build on it though, or at least, plant on it. Create your own Allotment, that way you end up with fresh tasty veg, and doing something great for the environment. (and also that feeling of fulfilment at the success of growing your own food, but that might just be me. I grow a lot of herbs etc even though my garden is small x3)
Load More Replies...
Ausrine Ciapaite 3 years ago
This is our future 🙂 However, it is possible to change it. The main problem here is overpopulation and low standard of life. Wanna fix it? Start thinking outside the box. Our economy is old and outdated. It's based on infinite profit and population growth. Even a child can tell you it's impossible. It worked in the past but it doesn't anymore for obvious reasons. What will replace it? That is something to think about. Overpopulation is harder to tackle because people take freedom to have offsprings very seriously and not about to let go. It's a cocktail of religion, tradition and culture. However, it doesn't have to be a strict and monitored population control. If a proper education is used then it is possible to overcome this problem. The main problem is to unite the whole world to take action.
Melissa Hollowell 3 years ago
Go watch the opening animated sequence of The Fate Of Irony. It perfectly encapsulates the soulless mass housing units we see more and more frequently.
Nick Nickson 3 years ago
People! Stop making people, then will be less urban hell, less global problems, less of any s**t. Why nobody make such commercials?
Frankenfrog 3 years ago
But by all means, keep popping out kids into existence on this miserable planet. They'll surely thank you when their in s**t to their knees fighting for basic survival necessities
Unnamed Panda 3 years ago
These remind me of the current Beijing Winter Olympics with the nuclear power plant in the background.. FOREIGN202...508672.jpg 
Octavia Hansen 3 years ago
Again . . . fewer people, less crap like this. Birth control is EVERYTHING!
Daniel Marsh 3 years ago (edited)
The population of the 75 largest cities in the world is nearly 1 billion. Their combined land area is about the same as New Mexico, population 2 million, or Bulgaria, population 7 million. What you see is often the result of state policies to move people into cities, where they are easily controlled. (Notice the abundance of cities shown in China, Russia, Egypt, Iran, etc.) Amazingly but not at all coincidentally, these nations have been about the worst at preserving natural areas. Also, the most densely populated city in the world is a suburb of Paris, which attracts people who are clearly "in the 1%."
Oskar vanZandt 3 years ago
I'm reminded I need to be grateful everyday for the end terrace(former council house) with a bit of wild garden in front and back that I share with two felines...
sofacushionfort 3 years ago
Human population expected to peak at ten billion around the year 2050. It will get worse, then slowly better.
keepgoing 3 years ago
This is the problem. Overpopulation. I keep saying. Have 2 kids not 4 or 5.
Load More Replies...
J.A. Rogers 3 years ago
Nobody's "dunking" on anyone except the cheap, lazy governments who built these monstrosities.
Load More Replies... Rissie 3 years ago
What? I lived in housing like that, I wasn't happy with those circumstances although I appreciated the nearby facilities and public transport. A lot of this is also depressing because there is no way to get around. People are just writing down what it looks like to them. There's nothing elitist about not wanting to live in one building with 18000 neighbors so closeby or having to walk 35 minutes to cross the street.
Load More Replies... Demi Zwaan 3 years ago
Most of these pictures give me anxiety. So many people, so cramped, I'd die. I'm already stressed about having to deal with one neighbour, I can't imagine having to deal with so many people.
Devil's Advocate 3 years ago
As depressing as the number of homeless Americans in full time employment?
Load More Replies... Anna Snorrepot 3 years ago
We are too many. Make child-free the norm. Children are luxury bones.
OnlyMyOpinion 3 years ago
Yes Anna. My thoughts exacrtly. Too many humans. I am child-free, 38.
Load More Replies... Isabella 3 years ago
Simple observation to all those pictures is "humans are too much" - in case of poorer countries - too much humans in general. Less childrem = less crowd. Noone needs 17 children. - in case of Murrica - too much cars and too much square meters of housing per person. You do not need McMansion and 4 cars for one family of 3.
Rissie 3 years ago
17 children is hardly the standard. Cities grow bigger, because we want things. It's what we do, we live and we want things and then we die. There's no use deary. It just is.
Load More Replies... Lovin' Life 3 years ago
This was so depressing. I am very thankful for where I live, something I take for granted every day.
marianne eliza 3 years ago (edited)
"By 2050, it's projected that more than two-thirds of us will reside in urban areas." Because we will have paved over so much more of our lands. The only way to stop this is birth control. Free birth of any type to anyone and everyone who wants it. No lectures, no pamphlets, no sermons, no questions. That could save the planet and our species.
Izzy Curer 3 years ago (edited)
That, and putting iron oxide in the ocean's dead zones. Fertilizer and manure end up in the ocean every year, adding extra nitrogen and etc. But iron only gets into the ocean at the normal rate. Plants, like algae, need both. They use up all the nitrogen and run out of iron. So, adding iron would super-charge the ocean's ability to produce oxygen and trap Co2. Currently, the ocean is already where we get most of our oxygen and stuff, so this would be huge
Load More Replies... The Penguin Bandit 3 years ago
I feel like there's no way someone can argue that climate change is a myth or that humans aren't affecting the planet any more than Mother Nature with these pictures. It seems like right here is the very exact irrefutable proof of our negative and altering effect on the planet... But I know the are those out there who will still deny it with every ounce of their faith and conviction.
Pittsburgh rare 3 years ago
Brutalist architecture should be torn down and rebuilt in a more human way
Briana Kessler 3 years ago (edited)
This makes me glad I bought the lot beside my house, so I could build absolutely nothing on it!
RoseTheMad 3 years ago
You SHOULD build on it though, or at least, plant on it. Create your own Allotment, that way you end up with fresh tasty veg, and doing something great for the environment. (and also that feeling of fulfilment at the success of growing your own food, but that might just be me. I grow a lot of herbs etc even though my garden is small x3)
Load More Replies... Ausrine Ciapaite 3 years ago
This is our future 🙂 However, it is possible to change it. The main problem here is overpopulation and low standard of life. Wanna fix it? Start thinking outside the box. Our economy is old and outdated. It's based on infinite profit and population growth. Even a child can tell you it's impossible. It worked in the past but it doesn't anymore for obvious reasons. What will replace it? That is something to think about. Overpopulation is harder to tackle because people take freedom to have offsprings very seriously and not about to let go. It's a cocktail of religion, tradition and culture. However, it doesn't have to be a strict and monitored population control. If a proper education is used then it is possible to overcome this problem. The main problem is to unite the whole world to take action.
Melissa Hollowell 3 years ago
Go watch the opening animated sequence of The Fate Of Irony. It perfectly encapsulates the soulless mass housing units we see more and more frequently.
Nick Nickson 3 years ago
People! Stop making people, then will be less urban hell, less global problems, less of any s**t. Why nobody make such commercials?
Frankenfrog 3 years ago
But by all means, keep popping out kids into existence on this miserable planet. They'll surely thank you when their in s**t to their knees fighting for basic survival necessities
Unnamed Panda 3 years ago
These remind me of the current Beijing Winter Olympics with the nuclear power plant in the background.. FOREIGN202...508672.jpg
Octavia Hansen 3 years ago
Again . . . fewer people, less crap like this. Birth control is EVERYTHING!
Daniel Marsh 3 years ago (edited)
The population of the 75 largest cities in the world is nearly 1 billion. Their combined land area is about the same as New Mexico, population 2 million, or Bulgaria, population 7 million. What you see is often the result of state policies to move people into cities, where they are easily controlled. (Notice the abundance of cities shown in China, Russia, Egypt, Iran, etc.) Amazingly but not at all coincidentally, these nations have been about the worst at preserving natural areas. Also, the most densely populated city in the world is a suburb of Paris, which attracts people who are clearly "in the 1%."
Oskar vanZandt 3 years ago
I'm reminded I need to be grateful everyday for the end terrace(former council house) with a bit of wild garden in front and back that I share with two felines...
sofacushionfort 3 years ago
Human population expected to peak at ten billion around the year 2050. It will get worse, then slowly better.
keepgoing 3 years ago
This is the problem. Overpopulation. I keep saying. Have 2 kids not 4 or 5.
Load More Replies... J.A. Rogers 3 years ago
Nobody's "dunking" on anyone except the cheap, lazy governments who built these monstrosities.
Load More Replies... Rissie 3 years ago
What? I lived in housing like that, I wasn't happy with those circumstances although I appreciated the nearby facilities and public transport. A lot of this is also depressing because there is no way to get around. People are just writing down what it looks like to them. There's nothing elitist about not wanting to live in one building with 18000 neighbors so closeby or having to walk 35 minutes to cross the street.
Load More Replies... Related on Bored Panda
