PETALING JAYA: Asean cities could face urbanisation challenges as middle-class households are set to quadruple by 2030, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). “As a result, Asean cities will continue to grapple with urbanisation management challenges, which they must address in order to create more liveable and more competitive centres of sustained growth,” the EIU said in a report. The EIU’s cities economist Roxana Slavcheva said the rapid urbanisation it saw in Asean in recent decades had created the potential for enormous economic gains. In addition, the EIU said rapid urbanisation and fast-rising income levels in Asean countries intensify environmental problems as well. The trend is not limited to Vietnam, however, as many other major cities in Asean, such as Bangkok, also suffer from the same problem.

Source: The Star October 05, 2016 23:27 UTC