DISCUSSION ESSAYS: Horizontal city vs vertical city

Best way of designing cities

People have different opinions about how cities should be designed to accommodate an ever increasing population in the world. While some people argue that cities should be expanded horizontally, I personally believe that vertical cities can be far more beneficial.

There are two main reasons why some people prefer a horizontal city rather than a vertical one. Firstly, the structure of a horizontal city gives people a sense of security due to its safety. For instance, if an earthquake or a fire takes place, it will be less difficult to rescue and evacuate residents in a low-rise building than in a skycraper. Secondly, a horizontal city can offer plenty of room for outdoor spaces such as gardens or playgrounds. It also fosters social connectedness among dwellers and avoid the lack of community and social interaction that high-rise living often breeds.

On the other hand, I am of the opinion that the trend towards building upward instead of outward brings more significant benefits, especially from environmental perspective. Residing in a megatower enhances living and working space, meaning that demand for land can be minimized. The wildlife habitats, therefore, would be preserved and deforestation would be reduced considerably. Another key benefit is that the exploitation of fossil fuel can be replaced by the use of renewable energy, which certainly contributes to the decline in carbon footprint and better air quality. This is because a high-rise building has a multitude of surface where solar panels could be installed. Also, their height and size make them ideal for wind turbines.

In conclusion, the concept of the horizontal city can be fascinating and attractive to a number of people for some reasons. However, in my view, the advantages of life in a city with skyscrapers makes living in a vertical city the better choice.

This is a comparative essay discussion. The body of paragraphs should have been composed of 3 representations, in no particular order:
- Public support for vertical living
- Public support for horizontal living
- Your point of view

You only have 2 discussion paragraphs in this essay. The prompt discussion instructions always indicate how many paragraphs must be written for the reasoning portion. You were instructed to discuss both points of view individually, before presenting your opinion. Never take a short cut in your reasoning paragraphs. You need to follow the indicated number of discussion topics. So, you are short by 1 paragraph because you decided to compress your horizontal and vertical considerations in one paragraph. That means, you will lose points for improper formatting.

Additionally, there will be lost points consideration with regards to the coherence and cohesiveness of your presentation. Without the 3 paragraph representation, the discussion feels rushed and under developed. You do not qualify these paragraphs as completely informative nor properly connected with one another. So points will be lost for GRA as well as C&C presentations.

By the way, do not present an opinion in the prompt paraphrase. As a rule, you should not have an opinion presented when you have completed the comparison paragraphs yet. You should simply indicate that your opinion will be based on what you believe to be the stronger discussion representation.

You should have done a better job with regards to the opening and closing paraphrases. You need at least one more sentence to complete the paragraph minimum of 3 sentences. Never compress the discussion. Always do it between 3-5 sentences for maximum GRA scoring points.