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.
Dhaka, Bangladesh
This Is The Most Apocalyptic Image Of Modern Cairo, Egypt, I Have Ever Seen Anyone Take
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.
The Before And The After Of My Hometown, Hungary
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.
Welcome To Texas
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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.
50 Lane Traffic Jam - China
(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
Concrete Canyon In Manhattan
I've never been to a city so large that the buildings block out the sun. I think I'll keep it that way.
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.
Lagos, Nigeria - The Overcrowding Is Terrible
Egypt, What Is Wrong With You?
Newly Built Housing. Samara, Russia
Saint Petersburg, Russia
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.
Do Not Show Partiality To The Poor Or Favoritism To The Great, But Judge Your Neighbor Fairly
New Residential Block In Malaysia
View From The Bathroom Window, Belgrade
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
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.
Christmas In Grimsby City Centre, UK
Infinite Amount Of Concrete…
"Ocean Access" + Suburbs In Florida
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
Trying To Cross The Street? Bummer. The Street Is Only For Cars. Tehran
A Lovely Day For A Picnic...
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.
Each Of Those Houses With A Garden Are £1+ Million. The Grass In All Gardens Is Astroturf
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
Vorkuta, Russia. The Coldest City In Europe (Lowest Temperature Ever Recorded At -52 C)
Jakarta's Chinatown 1940s vs. Now
No Need To Worry, Elite Architects Were At Work Here
Advertisement On A Commercial Building, South Korea
One Of The Worst Traffic And Pollution In The World. Tehran, Iran
I Just Want To Get To The Other Side Of The Highway Man
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.
A Spiral Parking Lot Somewhere In Chongqing, China
Duisburg, Also Known As The Ugliest City In Germany
The Entrance To A Shopping Mall That Is Still Alive And Well, Despite The Visual Evidence To The Contrary
One More Lane Will Solve This. Cairo
The sign says Carve Your Getaway. , Yup gonna need to carve out of that traffic 🙄
An Apartment In Istanbul Is Attached To Another Building
Abu Eir, Alexandria, Egypt
White And Beige Nebraska *oc
Florence (Italy) vs. Interchange In Atlanta (USA) - Same Scale
Oakland, California
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
Nice Cage Bro
Part of me is currently wondering if those cages are to stop people leaping to their deaths because living here is just that depressing.
Office Park In Austin, Texas. Car Culture Is Cancer
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
Or, and I know it's a wild idea, just obey traffic rules instead of driving like a self-centered idiot.
Evergrande’s Handiwork
Abandoned Buildings In Norilsk In Siberia
Marseille, France
This Whole City Has Sidewalks That Just End Like This
"I can be of help only till here. From now on it's you on your own. Good luck! " Click here to continue.
Housing Solutions Built In The Late 70s, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Hotel Cecil In Los Angeles, California
Elevated Highway In Central Hong Kong
All Workers Will Enjoy A 30 Minute Lunch (Manchester, UK)
La Grande Borne, Grigny. One Of The Poorest And Most Dangerous Places In The Whole Of Metropolitan France
It looks like a breath of fresh air after the slums and high rise blocks on the other posts.
Residential District Outside Of Dubai
In The Middle Of A Dystopian Looking Suburb In Querétaro
Kolkata Street Scene, India
1/10 Of Seattle's Apartments Are Empty. There Is No Excuse For People Having To Live Like This
That's because rent is so outrageous. You can't find anything below 2k.
Surreal Imagery In Chengde City, Hebei Province
Depressingly Small Windows Of An Apartment Building In Daegu, South Korea
Downtown Denver 1970s
Highways In Dubai
Kwun Tong, Hong Kong
Western Sydney Sprawl
By El Crater
Austin, Texas Suburb
The Pruitt-Igoe Slums In St. Louis. There's A Great Documentary About This Urban Hell Called The Pruitt-Igoe Myth
Amanauz Hotel, Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia
Horseshoe Interchange, Dallas, Texas
Legends say there are people cruising here for 20 years, only stopping to get gas and collect their mail.
If This Ain't Urban Hell Then Tell Me What It Is. Photo Credits : @mazterz On Ig
When your building reminds people of Judge Dredd, something has clearly gone wrong.
Interchange In The Chinese City Of Chongqing
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
Three Circles Of Hell: Suburban Strip Mall Hell, Rusty Industrial Hell, Comcast Corporate Hell
New Development (Up) vs. Old Communism Development (Down) - Romania
Saw On A Car Ad Today (Calgary Ab)
Cape Coral, Florida
Welcome To Mobile, Alabama
Blok P, Nuuk. Once Housed 1% Of Greenland's Entire Population
My Town Is Mostly Upper Class But This Is Our Subway. Absolutely Brutal
In Large Quantities Bicycle Parking Creates An Somewhat Hellish Environment, Tho Much Better Than Car Parking
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.
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
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)
Fake City Used By The Us Military To Train Troops
Strange how the US military has fake cities to play war games but there isn't any money for real cities for the homeless.
Stairs To Nowhere
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.
As depressing as the number of homeless Americans in full time employment?
Load More Replies...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.
As depressing as the number of homeless Americans in full time employment?
Load More Replies...