Read extracts A–D about four places. For each statement, choose the text that mentions the idea.
A
Medellín lies in a valley, but many of its poorer neighbourhoods grew high on the steep hillsides around the city. For years, this geography created a serious disadvantage for many dwellers. A journey to school, work or a hospital could take a long time, not because the distance was huge, but because the route down the hill was difficult and badly connected to the rest of the city. These districts were part of Medellín, yet many people felt separated from the city’s economic and cultural life.
One unusual answer was the Metrocable system. Instead of building only more roads, the city sent cable cars up the hills and connected them to the metro below. The project was not simply a tourist attraction with a good view over the environs. For local residents, it meant easier access to jobs, education and public services. Libraries, parks and public spaces were also built near some stations, so transport became part of a wider social plan.
However, Medellín’s story should not be read as a perfect miracle. Better connections can create real advantages, but they do not remove every social problem. The city’s transformation is powerful because it shows how planning can change daily life, not just the skyline.
One unusual answer was the Metrocable system. Instead of building only more roads, the city sent cable cars up the hills and connected them to the metro below. The project was not simply a tourist attraction with a good view over the environs. For local residents, it meant easier access to jobs, education and public services. Libraries, parks and public spaces were also built near some stations, so transport became part of a wider social plan.
However, Medellín’s story should not be read as a perfect miracle. Better connections can create real advantages, but they do not remove every social problem. The city’s transformation is powerful because it shows how planning can change daily life, not just the skyline.
B
Singapore is a small island country, so land is one of its most valuable resources. Unlike a large region with wide areas of farmland or grassland around it, Singapore cannot simply spread endlessly outward. Its population needs homes, schools, offices, roads, parks and places for nature, all within a limited space. This makes urban planning a matter of survival, not decoration.
The city-state has developed carefully planned districts where housing, transport and services are meant to work together. Many residents live in high-rise housing estates, but these areas are not designed only as blocks of flats. They usually include shops, schools, playgrounds, clinics and green spaces nearby. In this way, the neighbourhood is planned as part of everyday life, not just as a place where people sleep.
Singapore’s advantage is that long-term planning can help the country use land efficiently. The disadvantage is that every decision involves competition: land used for one purpose cannot be used for another. A park, a road, a business district and a housing area may all be necessary, but they cannot all occupy the same piece of land. Singapore’s urban story is therefore about balance.
The city-state has developed carefully planned districts where housing, transport and services are meant to work together. Many residents live in high-rise housing estates, but these areas are not designed only as blocks of flats. They usually include shops, schools, playgrounds, clinics and green spaces nearby. In this way, the neighbourhood is planned as part of everyday life, not just as a place where people sleep.
Singapore’s advantage is that long-term planning can help the country use land efficiently. The disadvantage is that every decision involves competition: land used for one purpose cannot be used for another. A park, a road, a business district and a housing area may all be necessary, but they cannot all occupy the same piece of land. Singapore’s urban story is therefore about balance.
C
For much of its history, London Docklands was connected with ships, warehouses and trade. When the old docks declined, large areas of land in East London lost their original purpose. Some parts became unattractive and underused, almost like an inner-city wasteland. The surrounding population did not simply lose buildings; many dwellers also lost a connection with the type of work that had shaped their neighbourhood for generations.
From the 1980s onwards, the area was redeveloped. Canary Wharf became a new financial district, with offices, apartments, shopping areas and transport links. The change brought clear advantages: investment arrived, jobs were created and a neglected part of London became economically important again. The skyline itself began to signal a new identity.
Yet redevelopment also created difficult questions. Some long-term residents felt that the new district was not really built for them. Expensive homes and office jobs did not automatically solve the problems of people who had lived in the area before the transformation. London Docklands shows that changing a place physically is easier than making sure all local dwellers benefit equally from that change.
From the 1980s onwards, the area was redeveloped. Canary Wharf became a new financial district, with offices, apartments, shopping areas and transport links. The change brought clear advantages: investment arrived, jobs were created and a neglected part of London became economically important again. The skyline itself began to signal a new identity.
Yet redevelopment also created difficult questions. Some long-term residents felt that the new district was not really built for them. Expensive homes and office jobs did not automatically solve the problems of people who had lived in the area before the transformation. London Docklands shows that changing a place physically is easier than making sure all local dwellers benefit equally from that change.
D
Curitiba, in southern Brazil, became internationally known because of the way it organised public transport. As the city grew, planners had to think carefully about how to move a large urban population without allowing traffic to control everyday life. Instead of waiting until congestion became impossible, Curitiba developed a Bus Rapid Transit system, often called BRT.
The idea was simple but effective. Buses were given special routes, stations were designed to make boarding faster, and the transport system was linked to the city’s growth. This meant that public transport was not treated as an extra service added after buildings appeared. It became part of the city’s structure. For many dwellers, this created an advantage: moving across the city could be quicker, cheaper and more predictable.
Curitiba’s example has been studied by planners from other cities because it shows that a city does not always need the most expensive technology to improve movement. Good organisation can also reconnect districts and reduce pressure on roads. Still, the system must be maintained and updated as the population changes. A successful solution in one decade can become a new challenge in the next.
The idea was simple but effective. Buses were given special routes, stations were designed to make boarding faster, and the transport system was linked to the city’s growth. This meant that public transport was not treated as an extra service added after buildings appeared. It became part of the city’s structure. For many dwellers, this created an advantage: moving across the city could be quicker, cheaper and more predictable.
Curitiba’s example has been studied by planners from other cities because it shows that a city does not always need the most expensive technology to improve movement. Good organisation can also reconnect districts and reduce pressure on roads. Still, the system must be maintained and updated as the population changes. A successful solution in one decade can become a new challenge in the next.
Which text:
1. suggests that a modernised area may not feel welcoming to the people who lived there first? —
2. explains that urban planning requires decisions between competing uses of space? —
3. shows that a transport project was connected to a broader social improvement plan? —
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