Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questi...

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 23 to 30.

Urbanisation, a process once associated primarily with industrial expansion, has evolved into a multidimensional transformation reshaping societies worldwide. As cities expand, policymakers face mounting pressure to balance economic development with social equity, environmental sustainability, and cultural preservation. Although urbanisation has historically been viewed as a sign of national progress, contemporary debates highlight its uneven consequences, particularly for vulnerable populations whose livelihoods are increasingly threatened.

Modern urban growth is driven not only by rural-to-urban migration but also by demographic change and the expansion of large-infrastructure projects. These forces accelerate the conversion of agricultural land into residential and commercial zones. However, this rapid expansion often outpaces the capacity of municipal governments to provide adequate housing, transportation, and waste-management systems. As a result, informal settlements grow on the edges of cities, showing problems in government management that are hard to solve. As a result, informal settlements grow on the edges of cities, revealing systemic failures that governments struggle to confront.

Despite its challenges, urbanisation also presents opportunities for innovation. Cities that adopt data- driven planning, integrated public transit, and green infrastructure can mitigate congestion and enhance residents’ quality of life. Furthermore, urban hubs attract diverse talent pools, making them engines of creativity and technological advancement. Yet critics argue that such innovation disproportionately benefits affluent districts, reinforcing spatial inequalities that limit social mobility for lower-income communities.

Increasingly, researchers are calling for a “resilient urbanism” approach - one that emphasises citizen participation, long-term ecological stability, and inclusive policy frameworks. This model encourages city leaders to anticipate climate-related disruptions, redesign public spaces to withstand extreme weather, and ensure that marginalised groups have meaningful influence in urban decision-making. Whether governments can adopt these principles consistently remains uncertain, but many experts contend that the future of urbanisation will depend on how effectively cities address these intertwined social and environmental challenges.

Question 23. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as a concern related to urbanisation?

A. cultural preservation                                B. environmental sustainability

C. agricultural productivity                                D. social equity