Is growing the city always good?

Expanding city: As its population grows, Kuala Lumpur is seeing affordable houses in the suburbs pushed further out of its centre.

Cities need a healthy level of density to create enough diversity and economic value to achieve a vibrant life. But size does matter when it comes to urban growth.

CITY growth tends to be equated with progress. This belief is very much tied to the idea that growth is always good for cities. In fact, the objective of urbanisation has always been governed by the idea to encourage growth, for its own sake.