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If you had a choice and money was no constraint, would you choose to live in a city, a small town, or the countryside? All have pros and cons, but, in the last century, cities have been growing at an unprecedented pace. The UN projects that 68% of the world's population will live in urban areas, and that presents some challenges in city planning.

Lately, though, some urban spaces are becoming so unwelcoming and dystopian-looking that it's surprising that anyone would want to live in them. Bored Panda has collected the most poignant examples of urban hell from two different online communities that share these types of urban hellscapes, and we present them for your displeasure below.

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    #5

    Urban building cluttered with numerous air conditioners and city skyscrapers in the background

    WubbaLubba15 Report

    Barbara Wilcock
    Community Member
    6 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    All of these are not pretty. But everyone needs a home, no matter where

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    #9

    Dense neighborhood with one building featuring a face painted on facade urban hell

    Saltedline Report

    Yeeyee
    Community Member
    6 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "things got outta hand real fast"

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    #10

    Apartment building facade covered with many satellite dishes in urban area

    POGO_BOY38 Report

    Yeeyee
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Dang.... Couldn't some of y'all split the bill?

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    #11

    Sunset over city with heavy fog and silhouettes of tall buildings in urban environment

    OkRespect8490 Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The Shuvalovsky residential complex in St. Petersburg, Russia, photographed during a foggy winter sunrise.

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    #13

    Mountain lion overlooking sprawling city lights at night

    Probably the most heartbreaking trail cam image I've ever seen

    byrobot Report

    Yeeyee
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just hoping one of them would walk off the trail....

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    #14

    Dense cluster of traditional mud-brick buildings in a desert environment

    Emergency-Green-2602 Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Shibam, a historic walled city in Yemen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as the "Manhattan of the Middle East". The mud brick high rises are up to 11 storeys high, with some dating back to the 16th Century, and were built to protect the residents from Bedouin attacks and floods.

    #15

    A snow-covered rocket monument surrounded by grey apartment buildings

    Ok_Distance_1134 Report

    That’s all I yam
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Interesting monument: "… the Soyuz-U, the most frequently launched rocket (nearly 800 launches), displayed along the road near a statue of Yuri Gagarin [first man to orbit the Earth]. The rocket rests horizontally because the powerful Kazakh winds could have toppled it if placed upright, as originally intended. This layout offers an intricate view of its design details. Initially, this model was used for tests and training at the cosmodrome, but in 1981, it was installed in Baikonur to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the first human spaceflight. (Landmarks and Attractions of Baikonur, Eurasia Travel)

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    #16

    Aerial view of dense urban housing bordering a large green forest area

    Soma_Or Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The boundary between Manaus, Brasil and the Amazon rainforest.

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    #17

    Traffic and commercial signs including McDonald's in urban hell cityscape

    RustyShadeOfRed Report

    That’s all I yam
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "I can’t stand America", Taken from lower left photo corner link.

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    #20

    Aerial view of densely packed urban area with small park in center

    _Yumm_ Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Al-Azhur Park, a 30 hectare park in Historic Cairo, Egypt. The site of a former rubbish dump, the park was created in 2005 as a "green lung" for the city. The project was undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture to catalyse urban renewal.

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    #21

    Pollution from factory smokestacks emitting smoke behind city billboard

    achovsmisle Report

    Russell Bowman
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The billboard is a cartoon character called "Misha" ... saying We live like a fairy tale

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    #25

    Brutalist concrete urban architecture with geometric shapes and reflecting pool

    MatterOfTrust Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Campus de l'Innovation et du Sport, Beirut, Lebanon. While this hasn't been directly hit by current Israeli military attacks, the surrounding university campus has sustained damage.

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    #26

    Narrow urban alley cluttered with bicycles, pipes, and wires between tall buildings

    mr_reedling Report

    Yeeyee
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oooh an American crackheads dream alley. All the copper they could dream of.......... Uh nvm

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    #30

    Rectangular city block carved out of dense forest near coastline urban hell

    bostonburrito Report

    Yeeyee
    Community Member
    5 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I dunno, this.... How far off was the shot taken?.......... NVM did some learning, still doesn't make sense to me why it's here but okay.

    #31

    Aerial view of dense urban cityscape with Mount Fuji in background urban hell

    Original_Tone5881 Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Tokyo, Japan with Mount Fuji in the background and the Sumida River in the foreground.

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    #32

    Row of suburban houses under high tension power lines in urban neighborhood

    CRSMCD Report

    Troy Parr
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Loads of people would jump at the chance to live there.

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    #33

    Massive concrete brutalist building complex in an urban setting

    Patriarch99 Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bio-Organic Chemistry in Moscow. It's layout was specifically designed to resemble a DNA double helix when viewed from above.

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    #34

    Destroyed and abandoned urban buildings showing decay in a cityscape

    Due_Visual_4613 Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The extensive damage caused in Mariupol, Ukraine by Russian military in early 2022.

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    #37

    Urban hell border showing abrupt change from forest to suburban neighborhood

    MessyGuy01 Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A satellite image of the 49th parallel north, the border between Canada and the US.

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    #39

    Snowy dense urban residential area in Murino and Kudrovo called urban hell

    Zargoth_the_destroye Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The "Man" complex in Kudrovo near St. Petersburg, a single residential building complex designed to house ~18,000 residents in 3708 apartments..

    #40

    Aerial view of a densely populated urban cityscape with rivers and many buildings

    trickledow Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's Tokyo viewed from above, with the Tokyo Skytree in the foreground, the Sumida River in the centre and Mount Fuji in the background. The colour is produced using a sepia filter. The original photo by Yuichi Yokota features the actual, natural blue and concrete city sprawl under a blue sky. It is not Mumbai.

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    #43

    Tall brutalist urban building with zepter sign and connecting tower at top

    KingBlana Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Genex Centre aka Western City Gate, Belgrade, Serbia. The taller building is a fully occupied residential tower. The shorter commercial tower is completely abandoned.

    #44

    Military tank moving along a street lined with blooming cherry blossom trees

    Any_Passage_7758 Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle taking part in an annual springtime exercise.

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    #48

    Aerial view of suburban homes with orange roofs surrounded by greenery in an urban area

    reddit.com Report

    AtMostAFabulist
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That is not totally horrible. Lots of trees.

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    #50

    Aerial view of crowded apartment buildings at night in urban hell

    YoungCeaser3 Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Queensbridge Houses, Long Island City, Queens, New York.

    #51

    Aerial view of a crowded suburban neighborhood with water canals in urban hell

    Superleggera49 Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Westlake Village, California, bordered by Ventura, Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Mountains.

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    #56

    Urban hell cityscape with high-rise buildings and distant mountains at dusk

    reddit.com Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Portland, Oregon. The bottom image is a desaturated version of the top image.

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    #58

    Netflix Squid Game 2 large event setup with skyscrapers in background

    Beneficial-Arugula54 Report

    That’s all I yam
    Community Member
    Premium
    18 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Moscow x squid game 2, those who fail go to the front lines in Ukraine" Taken from lower left image link.

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    #60

    Nighttime view of a pyramid-shaped apartment building with many lights on

    Ill_Engineering1522 Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A 2024 digital artwork titled Babylon Panel, by Ivan Ponivanov.

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