The City Got Bigger. Did We Get Better?

On chasing progress, losing our way, and rediscovering what truly matters.

Things have felt a little topsy-turvy lately. Every time I glance at the news or scroll through social media, the world seems in disarray. And yet, the story we’re constantly told is one of “development” better infrastructure, stronger economies, improved healthcare, more travel, more experiences, more success. Always more.

But when I zoom out and look at the bigger picture, it all feels increasingly out of control.

Politicians speak of nation-building and progress. We’re promised better cities, better connectivity, better technology. But the more I pay attention, the more chaotic things seem. Our cities are becoming harder to live in choking under air quality indexes that hit 80 on a good day and 600+ on a bad one. Tree canopies that once shaded neighbourhoods are replaced with malls and glass towers. Roads get wider in the name of easing traffic, yet the jams are longer than ever.

We have the tools to stay connected 24/7, but somehow we’ve never been more disconnected and angrier. The recent Supreme Court ruling to “relocate” all street dogs in Delhi hit me hard. No one knows where they will go. Are we sending them to their deaths simply for existing?

And then there’s the technology paradox. We have some of the brightest minds building tools to make our lives easier yet these tools often make us lazier, more distracted, more anxious. In turn, more technology is built to help us cope with the very anxiety the first wave created.

Somewhere along the way, we’ve stripped away the right to live for every other being in the name of making our lives better. I once heard someone say, “Singapore has no street dogs.” But Singapore is Singapore. Why must we constantly aspire to be something else? Why not embrace our own uniqueness? The quirks, the textures, even the imperfections that make our cities and communities what they are, and work to make that better instead of chasing someone else’s blueprint?

In hindsight, our cities felt more liveable before all this “development.” People seemed less angry. Which makes me ask: what can I do to feel more connected to my own life? Because maybe that’s all we can truly do work within our circle of influence.

Social media and news channels magnify chaos. They show us vast, systemic problems climate change, pollution, political strife but give us no actionable path. The business model runs on outrage, not well-being.

So I step back.

What if development wasn’t just about flyovers or a fast internet connection, but about the simple ways we show up for each other? What if it was measured in how many of us put out a bowl of water for birds and dogs on a hot day, or how often we checked in on a friend who might be struggling? There’s a quiet kind of joy in seeing another being, respond with nothing but gratitude. It’s small, it’s real, and it’s something each of us can do. Maybe a truly developed society is one where people are less angry, more connected, and where kindness isn’t a rare act, but a daily habit.