Urban problems are pollution, (air, water, soil) rapid population growth, growing poverty, political impact of problems and unequal distribution of wealth.

Some cities are trying to get rid of these problems by doing projects. Lima, Peru for example, has a self-help housing co-op where people were given a desert area to live on. They slowly developed roads, water, electricity, homes, trees, and gardens. This project provided homes for over 20000 poor people.

Denmark also has co-housing projects. These projects are about interaction with your neighbour. They provide small, affordable housing to families and they share community facilities such as workshops and play rooms. The houses are situated to promote interaction around the courtyard area. There are about 250 in Denmark.

In Adelaide, Australia there is a Halifax eco-city project. It uses barefoot architecture which means people are trained in basic architecture but don t know a lot. This accommodated a population of 800 people in 350-400 units. It was designed by the people who were going to live there. They had biological treatment and recycling of water and sewage. No thru-traffic. They were close to public transit. They had greenery on their balconies and roofs. Solar panels for power and they used non-toxic building materials.

Another city named Curitiba in Brazil is also developing ways to get rid of pollution and urban problems. They have the people s needs at the heart of the plan. They have a bus system that mimics Subway systems in large cities. About 900000 people ride on it a day. That is two thirds of the cities population. They have low-pollution industrial zones. For every tree you cut down in Curitiba, you have to plant two more. You also get fined if you cut down a tree without permission. The residents trade garbage for food stamps. It s called the food for trash exchange. Residents swap six bags of garbage for one bag of food. They also have a spectacular recycling system. People dressed up as leaves visit schools and teach children how to sort trash. Then the kids go home and teach their parents.

Habitat for Humanity helps people all over the world. It started in 1976 and they ve built over 30000 homes this way. They use volunteer labour, money and materials. People receiving the homes must invest their own labour and they are given interest-free loans.

To reduce vehicle traffic, and pollution. In Singapore, they charge residents to use roads during peak traffic periods. Drivers purchase and display a permit to enter the city.

In Hong Kong, they have a massive public transportation system. They have railways, pushbikes, ferries and hydrofoils. They intend to put a moving public street going up the side of the mountain soon for pedestrians.

In Copenhagen they made a network of designated bike lanes for cyclists. Already 25% of all urban trips are made by bike.

In Amsterdam, they make it hard for cars to get in the residential areas. They also eliminated downtown parking spaces and widened cross-town streets for bicycles. In 1992 they voted to ban cars all together in the center of their city and creating a car-free zone elsewhere.