Western vs Asian Cities: How Urban Planning Shapes Public Behavior
There is a stark difference in Western and Asian cities due to urban planning priorities.
CONSTRUCTION BLOGS
Construction shapes civilization. It is not just a sentence; it carries a whole history of how humankind learned, over time, the importance of developing cities, infrastructure, monuments, and castles to make life comfortable for their residents.
If we look at ancient cities like Rome, we can see how thoughtfully they were planned and executed. Roman emperors felt their authority reflected through these cities, while the dwellers felt safe under that authority. When we analyze ancient construction, it becomes clear that the majority of cities were developed directly by emperors because their power and authority were expressed through urban design. That is why they took a keen interest in construction, ensuring cities aligned with their vision and carried their legacy forward.
These cities were well planned, with proper distribution of markets, homes, and public spaces. They did not have drones to get an eagle-eye view of their cities, so they built high, elevated castles to observe and control their urban layouts. The most magnificent part of their design is that these cities are still alive today, even after thousands of years. Their designs remain valid in many parts of the world because they accommodated the basic needs of residents.
One thing is quite clear: when city development is well planned and designed to facilitate people, the people naturally take ownership of their city. They do not throw garbage on the streets; instead, they make arrangements to dispose of waste properly so it does not harm the beauty of their city.
Now, if we look at the design principles followed today, especially in Western countries, we see that most cities are designed to serve people. They fulfill major requirements by placing schools, hospitals, parks, and offices at suitable distances. Infrastructure is constructed to provide ease and comfort to residents. That is why we often see cleanliness on the streets. People take ownership of their city infrastructure and discourage rule-breakers so that city life remains calm and peaceful.
On the contrary, if we look at many cities in Asian countries, the situation is completely different. There is chaos everywhere. Governments often do not spend enough time designing their cities properly. Most urban development takes place for political reasons rather than planning needs. As a result, residents do not feel ownership of their cities, which is evident from their behavior. There are heaps of trash, open sanitation, over-construction, broken infrastructure, and population congestion in single areas. Governments do not bother to make cities comfortable for residents, and residents do not bother to demand that comfort from their governments. Since generations have lived in this chaos, they have passed this sense of disownership on to the next generation.
So why is there such a difference in behavior between these populations living in the same world? As mentioned earlier, old civilized cities were reflections of an emperor’s authority. Emperors knew every corner of their cities because they were directly involved in the design. This same trait was later adopted by Western governments. Their elected governments hold authority over the city itself. They observe their cities continuously from a bird’s-eye view and enforce control, making cities safe and organized. That is why residents take ownership of their cities.
In many Asian countries, however, governments did not adopt this approach. Instead, they focused on authority over the population rather than authority over the city. Unplanned constructions were carried out to gain public support without considering proper design principles. This pushed governments into an existential threat mode, where every development aimed only to secure political support rather than long-term urban control. As a result, after elections, governments and people forget each other and return to routine, allowing cities to remain chaotic.
Authority over the city is the most important aspect of city development. Countries that build cities to facilitate residents while maintaining strong design principles create cities that survive for thousands of years. Those where chaos rules never truly exist as cities, and in the long run, they never survive.