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This Group Is Dedicated To Sharing Examples Of “Urban Hell,” Here Are The 30 Worst Ones (New Pics)
Interview With Expert
Cities are fascinating places, a culmination of history, architecture and human design, both good and bad simultaneously. Some even are said to have a life and spirit of their own, but like everything we make, there are also downsides.
The “Urban Hell” online group is dedicated to sharing images from some of the most dystopian-looking places that humans have put together. We got in touch with Professor Alan March from the Melbourne School of Design to learn more. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your own thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Garbage In A Canal, Basrah, Iraq
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#2
"Me First!!!!" Mentality (In Viet Nam Btw)
#3
Residential Units In Hong Kong
Bored Panda got in touch with Professor Alan March from the Melbourne School of Design, who specializes in Urban Planning and Disaster Risk Reduction. He was kind enough to share some of his thoughts on bad urban design and “urban hell.” Firstly, we wanted to hear what common misconceptions about this field he has encountered.
“That planners have control over all aspects of cities and towns! We don’t – we are but one actor in a complex system of developers, bureaucrats, other government departments, politicians and other interest groups. We don’t really have that much power,” he shared. After all, some of the “worst” offenders emerge without any planning or authority, like the favelas of Latin America.
#4
Agbobloshie (Ghana) This Suburb Of Accra Is Western Europe's Preferred Dumping Ground For Electronic Waste. Population Affected: +40,000
#5
The Border Between The Brazilian City Of "Manaus" And The Amazon Rainforest
#6
Smog At The River In New Delhi - No, That Is Not Ice On The Water
“That we sit in front of drawing boards designing towns and cities. Well, we sometimes do, but mostly not. We actually have diverse tasks: regulations and policy (writing and administering), running meetings, project management, legal processes, advising politicians, economic analysis, heritage and so forth,” he added.
#7
Trash Next To La Saline Market, Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
#8
Income Inequality In Mumbai, India
#9
Milano, Italy
He had some more misconceptions to share. “That we are officious and want to make peoples’ lives difficult. In fact, most of us really want to help people as well as having the public good in mind. We chose the profession for that reason. Often, saying “no” to someone or something is in favor of collective outcomes.”
#10
The Michigan Theater In Detroit. Closed In 1976 And Gutted To Put A 3 Story Parking Garage Inside. Many Remnants Of It Remain
#11
Somewhere Along The Karachi Circular Railway, Pakistan
#12
A Concrete Jungle Somewhere In China
“For example: “No, you can’t demolish a heritage structure, even though you own the land, because the cultural significance of that is of significance to the wider community”. Alternatively, “Yes, that is an old building, but it doesn’t really have any cultural or heritage significance, so the developer is allowed to demolish it to provide more housing in keeping with our elected government’s policy”.”
#13
Polluted Haze Above Dubai
#14
Let Me Introduce You To My Hometown Of Duisburg In Germany
#15
Near The Flea Market, Marseilles, France
We were also curious to hear about some examples of poor urban planning from his perspective. “Non-integrated services. Examples include train timetables and physical connections that don’t connect with buses. Unsafe places, particularly for the vulnerable,” he shared.
#16
Island Heat Effect ✨
#17
Mirny, Yakutia, Russia
#18
Mesa, Arizona, USA
Mason Denton 1 year ago
Mesa. AZ is a hole filled by those who cannot afford 15 minutes away. Phoenix is the new Detroit.
“Increasing inequity of services, manifest in spatial distribution and exacerbated by concentrations of wealth or lower income across cities. This is increasingly leading to intergenerational inequity.” For many readers, the classic “slum” comes to mind, while wealthier people live in fully separated neighborhoods.
#19
Anti-Homeless Spikes In Guangzhou, China
#20
An Empty 20 Lane Highway In Naypyidav, Myanmar
#21
Los Angeles, From Above
QijianSanek 1 year ago
idk why but something about seeing urban sprawl is kind of beautiful to me
Other examples included “Car dependency along with poor public transport, obesity and food deserts in poorer areas where there is a lot of high calorie-low nutrient-low cost food available, contributing to climate change emissions. A lack of community due to insufficient or poorly designed public realm spaces for a diverse range of people.”
#22
Built Up Tunnel In Napoli
#23
Downtown Houston In The 1970s Was Just A Massive Parking Lot
#24
Guryong Village In Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea
#25
Airbnb Listing Says “Posh Location” - Bangkok, Thailand
#26
Which Urban Hell Do Y’all Prefer, American Hell Or Chinese Hell?
#27
Saratoga Springs Utah Temple
#28
Every Building You See Is A Parking Garage. White Plains, NY
#29
Newcastle, England 1970s
#30
Newly Completed World Trade Centre 1973
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 1 year ago (edited)
There was a joke at the time: "Welcome to NYC, home of the two most beautiful modern constructions in the world: The Empire State and the Chrysler buildings... and the boxes they came in."
#31
Los Angeles
#32
Somewhere In South Korea
Sheri Lytle 1 year ago
I would be so afraid to leave my apartment, I would never find my way back
#33
Flying Into La For The First Time
Becky Samuel 1 year ago (edited)
Horrific. This area was originally popular because of its great natural beauty. Way to go humans.
#34
Largest Office Building In The World In Surat
#35
Saw This In Chicago Today. On The Lawn Of The Police Station
#36
Residential Area In Chongqing, China,1990s
#37
Sheraton Hotel In Rio De Janeiro, It’s So Big That Covers The Whole Beach, Making It Inaccessible
#38
Crumbling Colonial Mansion In Havana Now Inhabited By Multiple Families. These Buildings Are Called "Solares"
#39
Suburbs In South Florida, USA
#40
Crazy Architecture In Lyon, France
#41
Tulsa, Us.. Most American Cities Are So Aesthetically Unpleasing That It Hurts
BlitheSpirit 1 year ago
That is not representative of what most of the city looks like, by the way…
#42
That Be £450k Please
Blue Bunny of Happiness 1 year ago
I am most distressed by that wobbly central line of fencing…
#43
Rome - Every Beautiful City Has It's Ugly Sides
#44
"Transport Dreams" In Arkhangelsk
#46
Mcdonalds Spring Festival Pop-Up Store In Guangzhou, China
#47
Charleroi, Belgium
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Janet C 1 year ago
Agent Smith was right. "I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You're a plague and we are the cure." Nature would do well to just wipe us off the planet as a bad evolutionary idea.
Sinister Murder 1 year ago
I love it that an anthropomorph computerprogram uses an anthropomorph way of reasoning about nature. Humans are a problem for humans, not for the planet. There was a planet before humans and there will be a planet after. The same goes for nature.
Load More Replies...
martin734 1 year ago (edited)
I am so glad that I live in a very rural part of the UK, I absolutely hate being in large towns and cities. I used to live in London while I was at university and every weekend I would travel home to Dorset just to get away from the place. Where I live now is perfect for me, I live in a small village with the Purbeck hills and heaths all around and Studland beach a short walk away. If I need to go into town for anything then Poole and Swanage are within easy travel distance. The only real downsides are that the only road through the peninsular gets very, very busy in the summer and half of the houses in the village are owned by townies who only spend 2-3 weeks a year and contribute absolutely nothing to the local community.
Scrappychick 1 year ago
I've lived in cities, rural villages, tiny hamlets and towns of all shapes and sizes. I wouldn't want to return to city living, and found the really rural places a bit too quiet. Finally found a home in an old market town a 45 minute train ride to Central London with a thriving music, theatre and food scene. I love that an 8 minute journey from my front door can have me in a music venue or open fields
Load More Replies...
Natasha Forchione 1 year ago
Totally! We don't deserve this beautiful planet.
Load More Replies...
Roxie Carter 1 year ago
Try imagining these are pictures of your own not-so-distant future for maximum anguish.
Freya the Wanderer 1 year ago
Man's inhumanity to man pales in comparison to our inhumanity towards our planet. We need to stop fouling our nest, or we'll have nowhere to live. If Nature tires of humanity, we won't stand a chance!
digitalin 1 year ago
The hard part is that humans take up space. Most of these photos are trying to find space for humans. Some stack up giant concrete buildings for density. Some allocate breathing room for each home, but at the expense of massive sprawl. Is there a good balance that takes into account population? Dense housing that is humane and aesthetic? Nature interwoven in urban space? The solution isn't just "fewer people". That's it's own level of dystopia.
Janet C 1 year ago
Agent Smith was right. "I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You're a plague and we are the cure." Nature would do well to just wipe us off the planet as a bad evolutionary idea.
Sinister Murder 1 year ago
I love it that an anthropomorph computerprogram uses an anthropomorph way of reasoning about nature. Humans are a problem for humans, not for the planet. There was a planet before humans and there will be a planet after. The same goes for nature.
Load More Replies... martin734 1 year ago (edited)
I am so glad that I live in a very rural part of the UK, I absolutely hate being in large towns and cities. I used to live in London while I was at university and every weekend I would travel home to Dorset just to get away from the place. Where I live now is perfect for me, I live in a small village with the Purbeck hills and heaths all around and Studland beach a short walk away. If I need to go into town for anything then Poole and Swanage are within easy travel distance. The only real downsides are that the only road through the peninsular gets very, very busy in the summer and half of the houses in the village are owned by townies who only spend 2-3 weeks a year and contribute absolutely nothing to the local community.
Scrappychick 1 year ago
I've lived in cities, rural villages, tiny hamlets and towns of all shapes and sizes. I wouldn't want to return to city living, and found the really rural places a bit too quiet. Finally found a home in an old market town a 45 minute train ride to Central London with a thriving music, theatre and food scene. I love that an 8 minute journey from my front door can have me in a music venue or open fields
Load More Replies... Natasha Forchione 1 year ago
Totally! We don't deserve this beautiful planet.
Load More Replies... Roxie Carter 1 year ago
Try imagining these are pictures of your own not-so-distant future for maximum anguish.
Freya the Wanderer 1 year ago
Man's inhumanity to man pales in comparison to our inhumanity towards our planet. We need to stop fouling our nest, or we'll have nowhere to live. If Nature tires of humanity, we won't stand a chance!
digitalin 1 year ago
The hard part is that humans take up space. Most of these photos are trying to find space for humans. Some stack up giant concrete buildings for density. Some allocate breathing room for each home, but at the expense of massive sprawl. Is there a good balance that takes into account population? Dense housing that is humane and aesthetic? Nature interwoven in urban space? The solution isn't just "fewer people". That's it's own level of dystopia.
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