Mongolians long for space in rapidly-urbanising capital Ulaanbaatar 

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The same here in Kazakhstan. Crazy pace of development makes even the country of wide steppes feel suffocating.

I am from Germany. I lived 3 years in Mongolia. It's a lovely country with breathtaking nature. Best life experience.

The worst part about Ulaanbaatar is they have no transport infrastructure to support the rising population. I went there on holiday last year and the only thing you can use to get around the city is roads there are no trains or subways for use within the city. You would be stuck literally an hour just to move a few blocks.

I live in an apartment with a total height of 34 floors, but my community can keep children's playground, and I can also walk 10 minutes to a city park with an area of ​​410,000m². It all depends on urban planning, there is nothing wrong with high-rise buildings.

High-rise building is a solution where there is limited land for housing But with so many lands, it just doesn't make sense to build high-rise

They started off as nomads and hunters. It has always been in their blood. Their yearnings are understandable.

Same in Hong Kong. When I was young, we could run around in our village. Now, 40 stories high rises surrounding our village, blocking the hills and mountains with railway and roads.

It's the same in Bucharest. They build block after block after block and no parking spots, no playgrounds, no hospitals. It's a nightmare.

if the main issue is the lack of playgrounds, benches, parking, then the planning ministries should plan for those. Stopping the construction of new apartments is only going to make prices shoot up faster than it is now. Many people are moving to the city and there needs to be enough housing for everyone. Plus, that ban doesn't help the existing residents. Hopefully when the Ulaanbaatar Metro opens, it will help with their traffic and parking issues

Mongolia is one of the least densely populated countries in the world. I wonder what's the logic behind building these kinds of concrete jungles when they have a lot of freelands. Half the population and nearly all the wealth is concentrated in Ulaan Bataar. They need to build more industrial powerhouses to drive the economy other than just mining.

Why not build a giant circle traditional Mongolian house as a apartment? Not only is it part of the Mongolian culture but also utilizing the past to present to modernize it. This will create a positive effect on the economy and people mentality. It shows the people culture within the modern day with art which bring happiness and scholar mind knowledge. Inspiring others to do the same or better. Having a circle infrastructure also allows more space and daylight through the building. I’m sure no one wants their kid to play at a playground that’s corner and block off by the sun due to high concrete walls and buildings.

The result without urban planning

When the previous authorities are more interested in money spinning projects than spend time on proper infrastructure and building planning, you get a nightmare of a mess

Their language sounds so unique

Horrible for them, but this is happening everywhere, people being shoved together like cattle on a train.

Wow, it's almost unbelivable how urban planning has gone so wrong like if they were building in the most densly populated country in the world, of course it is best to let nature be itself yet they cold have planned those tight spaces to be more confortable and livable, especially integrating some greenness in the urban context, which is a concept that I really love

The city planner fail miserably because they never play Sim City.

Living in the mongolian tent waking to see the beautiful grassland is far better than having skyscrapers

Mongolia is a beautiful & calm country, 🇮🇳🇲🇳

Ulaanbaatar 😊 have always love that name!

People who have many children: "why is everything so crowded?"

No greenery and feel very depressing...here in Singapore we are okay live in tall building everywhere, but we do have many green space too...

Those ger doesn't have flushing toilet, high rise building are still an upgrade from ger.

No trees and grasses... i cant imagine myself living in that place

Same when I lived in Shanghai and Shenzhen , during the time I was a teenager in the 90s, the urban sprawl of these two cities came with thousands of high rises and skyscrapers. I grew up in the era and witnessing the villages disappear and turned into concrete blocks and commercial centers.

these are typical growing pains because urban planners are difficult to find so many projects are by developers not city planners. Its easy these days to build apartment buildings and skyscrapers. Much more difficult to sit down in a meeting and ask people what they want in a city - cafes, bike paths, subway stations, bus stations, trash pick up, sewage treatment, banks, convenience stores, light rail, trees, boulevards, parks, fountains, and public squares are just as important as tall buildings.

No such problem for them 800 years ago when they ruled half the world.

We need for greens and playground around the world, and SPACE

We wish that the Mongolians would have safer places to reside in. My prayers go out to these people.

What would fix this is better public transportation. People can live in their traditional homes on the outside or “suburbs” of the city and then just commute to work. Or the city could encourage companies to place their buildings on the outside of the city and natives in the main city can just commute there

Inner Mongolia is much different. Green, modern.

what is the music?

I'm from Canada, born & raised. The developers of Ulaanbaatar really upset me. I get how some big business in our cities want change. Doing so will only cause our once beautiful cities to disappear. They all only want to and currently need to, make room for growth. Sadly it's now only beautiful to people who have big pockets. Why is this always the outcome? Money, I mean wealthy people, who seem to not or just don't care about all the others. We can see how this becomes a bad idea, that others cannot see. When will the big corporations learn from our failures? I'm sure there are many different companies or government projects that in hindsight also now wish that they did NOT need to change or build a new cookie cutter community. Also I'd LOVE to live in such a beautiful place with wide open spaces for animals, family and my children. A yurt looks so simple & comfortable for living with nature bringing family together. Living in the West is great, But I envy so many in Europe. The culture & traditions will be lost to most if this construction boom keeps destroying what was provided for us on our great green earth.

Hello Mongolian🇲🇳 friends, your vast land really have diverse and panoramic nature

This is the downside of capitalism where only money or profit matters most.

I could be wrong, but I think it has to do with money. I feel like companies/individuals build these high rises in order to create large amounts of renting space at a relatively cheap cost.

I thought they meant the final frontier...

Mongolia is a huge country.

I am glad I am living in New Zealand. There is still plenty of space for houses.

Beautiful country

It's sad because obviously nothing lasts forever and something will replace it.

If Mongolians lived only in yurts, you would say the government of Mongolia doed nothing to modernise and improve quality of life. Now that they are modernising and building modern habitational structures, you say Mongolians long for space. It's just that your rulers dislike Mongolian government.

So... in other words, Tokyo. Where they build buildings first, then the roads.

Tall buildings are to save space, but now it's a trend of lavish lifestyle! 😊

No playgrounds or green spaces in the city at least? Who is building these buildings? ?? The mayor should at least require construction companies to build green spaces, city parks, and playgrounds.

Rapid development does not mean organized urban planning. That is what Mongolia probably needs the most.

Several years ago moved from central UB to that time suburb. In condo where live now enough parking lots, playgrounds. But visible from my balcony mountain range is closed now, too many new apartment blocks across the road from my place. Traffic jam at not only rush hours is terrible. Hope things will be improved within next years since the country is still democratic and voice of ordinary people sometimes reaches decision makers.

An example on how Laissez-faire and free market forces does not always provide the needs and wants.

A 19 year building ban? So it's now we should invest in property there as prices are bound to go up...

A city can be urban without tall buildings.

Genghis Khan must be proud

Same here in Malaysia. We are much worst because we are living in a hot humid country. City planners are like capitalists here.

Since everyone is moving to the capital, they would have to sprawl out more into the plains if they do not care about keeping them

"Your palace might stand forever, but my yurt can go anywhere" *Genghis Khan* Now, Yurt homes facing extinction in Mongolia, replaced by high rise apartment complex.

Interesting place.... most amount of prius cars I have ever seen in one city.... Almost everybody who owns a car.... has one... And alot of people have 2 or more...

This urbanism makes a strong men and strong men makes a bright future

They had the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of bad infrastructure projects from around the world and to build something amazing. Yet they managed to make all the same mistakes.

I could not see a single tree which is very sad.

Ulaanbaatar is so polluted and crowded

Mongolia is the least densely populated country in the world. There is no justifiable reason for creating cramped spaces in the capital.

Not sure if they don't want it but this effect would be similar to the South Korean economic boom during the olympics

In Mongolian cities, it's hardly find any factory and tracks running on the street, so what do most of Mongolian people rely on? all depends on goverment's finantial support and payment?

Where are the trees and greenery? 😮

Same here in India'

Planing green areas in proportion of growing urban zone to get balance.

This real state scenario is now common to many citizens around the world.... I thought we had this only in Brazil...

Why did you put grey filter to deviate the real color?

They still hold the record for greatest empire conquered in history under GK.

Tall buildings is only for countries that have not enough land

That’s a really long ban on new construction… that definitely won’t have any negative consequences at all within a growing country. I get the need for new housing and not wanting high rises but it seems like they could change the focus to low rise apartments ones that are like 4 stories tall and build them around centrally located public parks and small businesses districts to provide a balance of life. Maybe the city also needs a street car public transportation system or a true RTD bus system with its own dedicated driving lanes, they already have the high density needed for a train system now they just need to build it.

Imagine living without AC, Heater, Electricity and Water...

i would not even wanna be found dead there , let alone live there.

Rather than bulid more building Ulaanbaatar should focus on establishing parks, libraries and public spaces, improve and increase public trasportations, tourism or cultural heritage centres, maybe street food, create yurt housing area, etc. Create sustainable city

So these people wish they were living in a yurt instead of a modern apartment? I doubt it. I must be missing the point.

In my eyes it's so much gray...need more some green and blue element 😊

Literally. A country with 1.5 million sq km, plenty of room to spare, very low pop density, and they have no better idea than to build depressing soviet flat blocks...

Literally the Philippines, a concrete prison where you work, live and spend time in concrete buildings from home to office to shopping malls. Not much parks nor any social and leisure public places.

They can learn from my country. We have biggest population and we also love crowding everywhere.

Moving from Ulaanbaatar to a mid sized German city I certainly do not miss Ulaanbaatar

Skyscrapers aren't the problem. It's the lack of proper urban planning and infrastructure to keep up with a burgeoning population is the problem. Same goes for my hometown of Edmonton.. While it was great at planning for parks, transit infrastructure for the city is woefully lacking given the population... And of course, affordable housing... A worldwide issue...

I thought Mongolia was empty outside of Ulaanbaatar, why not let the city sprawl outwards into spacious suburbs like in the USA or Australia?

Their city is so gray.

A country like Mongolia could easily recreate low rise cities like europe low population, huge land. But don't become a urban sprawl like the US

That's cool!!! Lived in a Mongolian tent Play archery Playing swords and riding horse

The solution is staring them in the face. Follow HK's & Vancouver 's practice of building out to the sidewalk with a 3 to 4 story pedestal, with tower on top. The roof of the pedestal becomes new land for parks, food gardens, & children's play areas. 1/2 the floor space reaching onto the garden is common area & the other 1/2 should be for day cares, kindergartens, & elementary schools with reserved play area during opening hours. Other buildings could have restraints & cafes opening onto same. The added bonus is the pedestals actually create more revenue for building with greater floor space, & the pedestal roofs create a sea of green for all looking down. Vancouver has added canopy trees 🌳 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌲🌳 along the sidewalks so our downtown is truly a carpet of green from above. Being that the growing season is so short planting could include multicoloured etremiphile endive some stacked to resemble trees. Also being how harsh the climate is the tower roof tops & the south-facing building space off the pedestal decks could be made into glassed in 4 season green space. Exploiting both the total roof tops of the pedestal & tower will yield as much green space as the previous open pasture. Posted by former 1 decade member of Vancouver's Downtown Impact ( Planning) Committee.

Just look the sad looking concrete jungle it looks dead without a single tree absolutely no green patch looks depressing & dystopian af

What a pity, a chance to build from scratch and they’ve appeared to have fumbled it. Who suffers the most? Families.

It means say no to ghost city 😅

Love in China as an expat. If I can compliment the country for one thing it is city infrastructure.

Town planning allow by gov. town planners in the past. In Malaysia, there must be greenery, swimming pools each condos, shoplots all. There is no design in the architecture or landscape also. Come live in Malaysia is better environment with skyscrapers also in beautiful designs architectures.

Reject modernity Embrace tradition

Estos chinos deberían hablar de su propia burbuja inmobiliaria en vez de meterse con los problemas ajenos.

Fire the city planner, horrible job not providing any green space. I visited in 1993 when Ulaanbaatar was about a mile long. I could see one end of the city from the other end. This bad city planning is not an improvement at all. Who would want to visit it now? Even NYC which they call a concrete jungle has central park and other green spaces. It’s essential for people‘s well-being.

Why no trees in their country like dessert

Mongolia is even less densely populated than australia. Why waste money on high rise building ? Their birth rate was not even high to begin with

what would i give to sleep one day in one of these yurts

They have so much land and they choose to go up? This is the type of country that could have its capital city be huge and flat and low. Not small, condensed and high up.

If they don't like the neighborhood (it being a concrete jungle and all), why do they even buy those apartments, to begin with? Don't like it, don't buy it. If there's no demand, they won't build... it's that simple!

This is the problem with Mongolia and Mongolians in general We just do things without a plan and the long term consequences are brutal