Reader Response Draft 2

In the article “Explosive growth in Asian cities: Bright ideas to 'seize the urban moment’” by Khanna (2015) mention that Asian cities have become the icon of the world's urban development trend within this decade. Asian cities are having population influx which forces cities to expand. South-east Asia cities tackle this problem with their “flexible governments, resourceful citizens and local infrastructure innovation." It is also a challenge for huge cities to provide essential services like water and housing. Using of technological application like QLUE can help reduce social challenge like water flooding. The author highlights that city governments should be “generative” and not only invest in infrastructure but also use it to produce innovative “business models” that help economy growth.

While I agree to an extent that the both Asia and Southeast Asia government needs to do more for their countries or cities and make use of the opportunity when urbanization takes place, I also feel that the idea that South-east Asia countries can get hold and improve using this urbanization opportunity is inaccessible as many of the South-east Asia countries are poorer in nature and cannot keep up with the stress from the impact of the urbanization in their countries and cities.

Firstly, the article examines Indonesia as one of the case study which follow by the strategy approach that is use to continue to improve. The writer also mentions that Indonesia face overcrowding in their city due to the problem from urbanization. It was also mentions by The Jakarta Post (2010) that it is not hard to see the problem of congestion in Jakarta and you can still see “slums” in many areas in the city which also include the river bank. The Jakarta Post (2010) also reports that the city government issued a bylaw that only allows the “entry of migrants into the city, with only those who have guaranteed jobs allowed to live in the city, while officers of the city public order agency often conduct raids against illegal residents.” But those efforts still failed to solve the problem of overcrowding in the city. With the population growing everyday and the demand of essential need like housing grows, more social challenges may even pop out. Therefore, I can conclude that Indonesia and the other poorer South-east Asia countries will suffer even more as times goes by.

Secondly, he writes in the article that the using of the advance technologies can help decrease the impact of such social issues arises from urbanization. The writer talks about Jakarta as an example in his article in which Jakarta is taking advantage of a “crowd-sourcing mobile application” called QLUE that allows their residents to report to the authorities on any local matters such as flooding, waste collection or traffic to the government immediately. It was report in Jonathan (2014) that accustom of new technology is fast in ASEAN but there is significant difference in “digital readiness and capabilities by country”. For example, Indonesia is ranked 64 in the world of their readiness towards new technology yet Myanmar being another ASEAN country is ranked at 146 in the world. Jonathan (2014) also mentions that there are many differences between countries even when they located near each other. Therefore, not all countries can use these newly advance technologies to their advantages as there are huge differences between countries, in terms of their business economic performance, governance practices and affordability of such advance technology. Therefore, I believe that the using of the advance technologies may not be suitable to all countries especially to those poorer countries like Myanmar or Laos.

In conclusion, the article did emphasize on a few valid point on the way how countries like Indonesia can make use of this opportunity to improve. But the poorer countries like Myanmar or Laos may not be able to do it at all as they are poorer in nature and cannot keep up with the stress from the impact of the urbanization in their countries and cities.

(544 words)

(Edited on 30/9/2015)

References

Article:

Khanna , P. (2015). Explosive growth in Asian cities: Bright ideas to 'seize the urban moment'. Straits Times. Retrieved June 11, 2015 from http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/explosive-growth-in-asian-cities-bright-ideas-to-seize-the-urban-moment

Resources:

The Jakarta Post. (2010). Overpopulated Jakarta. Retrieved August 21,2011 from  http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/08/21/editorial-overpopulated-jakarta.html

Woetzel, J.,& Tonby, O., & Thompson, F., & Lee, G., & Burtt, P. (2014). Southeast Asia at the crossroads three paths to prosperity. Retrieved October 2, 2015 from Washington, D.C.: McKinsey Global Institute: https://www.google.com.sg/ url?sa= t&rct=j&q= &esrc =s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBsQFjAAahUKEwjS3sTL16HIAhUFC44KHRr_AiI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mckinsey.com%2F~%2Fmedia%2FMcKinsey%2Fdotcom%2FInsights%2FEnergy%2520Resources%2520Materials%2FThree%2520paths%2520to%2520sustained%2520economic%2520growth%2520in%2520Southeast%2520Asia%2FMGI%2520SE%2520Asia_Full%2520report_November%25202014.ashx&usg=AFQjCNHaYlZNobirMywu-P5mZ_651 GM6Q&sig2= 2m 29dNFM3UPHereZd3OdYw&bvm= bv. 104226188,d.c2E&cad=rja