Metropolitan Area in Western Tokyo [Photo source: Wikipedia.org]

One common trait found in the world's most livable cities is the quality of being mid-sized and moderately populated. To that end, urban sprawl should be viewed as an unfavorable phenomenon as it not only makes cities more crowded but less pedestrian-friendly as well. But urbanization now has become an unstoppable trend, especially in developing countries, where millions of people are streaming into bigger cities everyday in search of better jobs and life. One primary way to make room for the late comers has been to constantly enlarge the city area or in other words, to create an urban sprawl.

So should we avoid creating urban sprawls? How can we reduce the threat posed by city expansion to our living environment?

Ni hao, you're listening to  People In the Know, bringing you insights into the headline news in China and around the world, I'm Zheng Chenguang in Beijing. In today's program, we are taking a look at the pros and cons of urban sprawl.

We're joined by Karen Seto, Associate Professor, School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University, and Prof. Wang Yaping, Institute of Housing, Urban and Real Estate Research, School of the Built Environment, Heriot-Watt University, UK.