Why Is the World Moving to Cities?

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1. 01Why Is the World Moving to Cities?

   Good afternoon, everyone. My grandparents grew up in a small village in Vietnam. Today, all of their children and grandchildren live in cities, including me in Ho Chi Minh City. My family isn't unusual. Today, I'll look at why the world is moving to cities.

   大家午安。我的祖父母是在越南的一個小村莊長大的。如今，他們所有的子女和孫輩都住在城市裡，包括住在胡志明市的我。我家的情況並不少見。今天，我們來看看為什麼全世界的人都在往城市遷移。

2. 02The Numbers

   According to the United Nations' 2018 estimates, fifty-five percent of the world's population lived in urban areas. By 2050, that share was projected to rise to sixty-eight percent.

   根據聯合國2018年的估計，世界上55%的人口住在城市地區。預計到2050年，這個比例將上升到68%。

   Source: United Nations DESA, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision

3. 03Where the Growth Will Happen

   The UN also projected that close to ninety percent of the increase in urban population would take place in Asia and Africa. In other words, the biggest changes are happening in countries like mine.

   聯合國還預測，城市人口增長中將近90%會發生在亞洲和非洲。換句話說，最大的變化正發生在像我的國家這樣的地方。

   Source: United Nations DESA, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision

4. 04Why People Move

   Why do people move? In my family, the reasons were simple: jobs, universities, and better hospitals. Cities offer opportunities that many villages can't.

   人們為什麼要搬走呢？在我家，理由很簡單：工作、大學和更好的醫院。城市能提供很多村莊無法提供的機會。

5. 05Challenges for Cities

   But fast growth brings challenges. In my city, rents have gone up, traffic jams are part of daily life, and on some days, the air is visibly polluted.

   但是快速發展也帶來了挑戰。在我的城市，房租漲了，堵車成了日常生活的一部分，有些日子，空氣汙染肉眼可見。

6. 06Challenges for Villages

   Villages face problems too. When young people leave, older people are often left behind, and schools and shops may close. My grandparents' village has far fewer children than when my mother grew up.

   村莊也面臨問題。年輕人離開後，老人常常被留下，學校和商店也可能關門。我祖父母的村子裡，孩子比我媽媽小時候少多了。

7. 07What Could Help

   What could help? Cities need better public transport and affordable housing. At the same time, internet access and remote work could give some people the choice to stay in their villages.

   什麼能有所幫助呢？城市需要更好的公共交通和價格合理的住房。同時，網路和遠端工作也可以讓一些人有機會選擇留在村裡。

8. 08Conclusion

   To conclude, the move to cities is one of the biggest changes of our time. If we plan our cities well and support villages too, more people can choose where they want to live, not just where they have to. Thank you.

   最後總結一下，向城市遷移是我們這個時代最大的變化之一。如果我們把城市規劃好，同時也支援村莊，就會有更多人能選擇自己想住的地方，而不只是不得不住的地方。謝謝大家。