Nowadays, many old cities are redesigned and rebuilt in order to look modern. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this practice?

The explosive growth of urban population has necessitated the reconstruction and expansion of cities to satisfy the needs of contemporary needs. It is advised that obsolete buildings should be demolished as they have retarded the development of cities. This advice is reasonable and in the public interests, but city planners should be mindful of the preservation and renovation of some historical buildings

On one hand, it is widely accepted that the city will become more liveable through the reconstruction. This is particularly true in developing countries, where the obsolete infrastructures are unable to keep up with growing population. For example, in China, the government has constructed millions of new apartments in the city areas to accommodate the increasing demand for housing. It is also worth noting that old city facilities, such as sewage, ventilation and sanitation may pose threats to people's lives. For instance, a number of underground water pipes are found stained in some districts in China, which caused contamination to the water source and caused healthy issues.

On the other hand, one worrying issue which concerns people is that the cultural diversity may on the brink of extinction due to the city redesign plan. Every historical building experiences the test of time and contains the local culture in terms of architecture. For example, the forbidden city in Beijing represents the cultural heritage of China. If it is were knocked-down, Beijing would not distincted to NewYork. THerefore, the collapse of classical architecture can erode people's sense of identity. It is fair to say that the high costs of maintenance can be justified by old building's aesthetic values and cultural values.

To summarise, the value of old buildings should be perceived from a broader perspective, which the city expansion should be taken as the only priority.