Traffic and housing problems in major cities could be solved by moving large companies and factories and their employees to the countryside.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. Traffic and housing problems in major cities could be solved by moving large companies and factories and their employees to the countryside.

Solving traffic and housing problems in major cities by moving large companies and factories to the countryside - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Write at least 250 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 9 ยท 436 words.

The relentless expansion of metropolitan areas has led to chronic traffic congestion and an acute shortage of affordable housing. A commonly proposed solution is the relocation of large corporations and their workforces to rural areas. While I acknowledge the potential benefits of this approach, I largely disagree that it is a comprehensive or practical solution, as it risks creating new problems while failing to address the root causes of urban strain.

On the one hand, proponents of decentralisation argue that moving industries out of city centres would directly alleviate pressure on urban infrastructure. For instance, if a car manufacturing plant employing 5,000 workers were relocated to a small town, it would significantly reduce the daily commuter traffic entering the city. Moreover, this shift would free up vast tracts of expensive urban land currently used for industrial parks, which could be redeveloped into residential zones, thereby increasing housing supply. This strategy has been successfully employed in countries like Japan, where government policies have incentivised companies to move to secondary cities, easing the burden on Tokyo.

However, I believe this solution is fundamentally flawed for two main reasons. Firstly, it merely transfers the problem rather than solving it. Relocating factories and employees to the countryside would inevitably lead to the suburbanisation of these rural areas, creating new traffic jams and escalating local property prices. The countryside would lose its character and simply become an extension of the metropolis, while the original city would still retain its core issues, such as tourism-related congestion and service industry density. Secondly, such a move ignores the modern economic reality that many of today's traffic and housing problems are driven not by factories, but by the service and tech sectors. For example, in cities like London or New York, office-based professionals cause peak-hour congestion, and these knowledge-based companies are unlikely to relocate to areas lacking urban amenities.

Furthermore, this policy would impose significant logistical and social costs. Employees often resist moving due to family ties, educational opportunities for children, and career prospects for spouses. Forcing such a shift could lead to a brain drain, where companies lose valuable staff, ultimately harming productivity. A more effective long-term solution lies in improving public transport networks and implementing rent-control policies, rather than attempting a massive geographical upheaval.

In conclusion, while relocating industry to the countryside might offer temporary relief, it is not a viable primary strategy. It risks duplicating urban problems elsewhere and ignores the fact that modern metropolises are defined by their interconnected service economies. Therefore, governments should focus on sustainable urban planning and transport innovation rather than forcing an outdated model of geographical dispersal.

Examiner feedback

This is an exceptional essay that meets all the criteria for Band 9. It demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the topic, uses natural and precise language, and maintains a clear, logical progression throughout.

Task Response - 9

- Fully addresses all parts of the prompt with a nuanced, well-developed position throughout the essay. - Ideas are fully extended and supported with relevant, high-level examples (e.g., London, Japan, specific economic sectors). - The argument moves beyond a simple 'yes/no' to analyze the root causes and potential new problems of the proposal.

Coherence & Cohesion - 9

- Paragraphing is logically structured, moving seamlessly from a balanced introduction to specific arguments and a definitive conclusion. - Cohesive devices such as 'For instance', 'However', and 'Furthermore' are used with natural sophistication to link complex ideas. - Each paragraph maintains a clear central topic with excellent progression of thought.

Lexical Resource - 9

- Uses a wide range of sophisticated vocabulary (e.g., 'acute shortage', 'geographical upheaval', 'suburbanisation') with natural control. - Collocations are precise and appropriate for an academic context. - No errors in spelling or word formation are present.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 9

- Demonstrates full flexibility and accuracy with a wide range of complex structures. - Sentences are consistently error-free with sophisticated use of conditional clauses and relative structures. - Punctuation is used with precision to enhance clarity and tone.

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