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.
This post may include affiliate links.
All of these are not pretty. But everyone needs a home, no matter where
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.
Probably the most heartbreaking trail cam image I've ever seen
The boundary between Manaus, Brasil and the Amazon rainforest.
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.
The billboard is a cartoon character called "Misha" ... saying We live like a fairy tale
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.
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.
The Shuvalovsky residential complex in St. Petersburg, Russia, photographed during a foggy winter sunrise.
Eixample district of Barcelona, Spain, with Sagrada Familia in the centre.
The "Man" complex in Kudrovo near St. Petersburg, a single residential building complex designed to house ~18,000 residents in 3708 apartments..
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.
Genex Centre aka Western City Gate, Belgrade, Serbia. The taller building is a fully occupied residential tower. The shorter commercial tower is completely abandoned.
The extensive damage caused in Mariupol, Ukraine by Russian military in early 2022.
A satellite image of the 49th parallel north, the border between Canada and the US.
Queensbridge Houses, Long Island City, Queens, New York.
Westlake Village, California, bordered by Ventura, Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Mountains.
A 2024 digital artwork titled Babylon Panel, by Ivan Ponivanov.
Portland, Oregon. The bottom image is a desaturated version of the top image.
A promotional ice rink and large "Red Light, Green Light" doll for Squid Game 2, in Moskov City, Moscow, Russia.
Some of the photos are good but this was bizarre without any info. Come on, Kornelija, you're better than this level of effort.
Some of the photos are good but this was bizarre without any info. Come on, Kornelija, you're better than this level of effort.
