The presence of factories near residential zones is a very controversial topic in modern society. If I a factory was to be constructed near my hometown, I would come out in support of the development. I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.

First of all, my community desperately needs the jobs that a factory would provide. I live in an economically disadvantaged region of Canada which has suffered from a high unemployment rates for more than fifty years. Our high jobless rate has had some very serious effects on the town, including child poverty, crime and poorly developed public services. The hypothetical idea of a factory being constructed in my hometown made me think of my brother’s real-world situation. He lives in the same region as I do, but in a different community. Several years ago, a manufacturing plant actually was constructed in his town. There was, indeed, an increase in pollution, noise and traffic after the factory moved in to town, but everyone agrees that this was an acceptable trade-off for the declines in crime, graffiti and homelessness that occurred at the same time. I believe that my brother’s example demonstrates why it would be a great idea to construct new industry in my town.

Secondly, it must be said that modern industry is not as bad as a lot of people think. I am not living in Victorian England, nor in smoggy modern-day Japan. Here in Canada, factories come equipped with modern technology that removes the most dangerous chemicals from their regular emissions. Moreover, advances in public transportation can alleviate some of the traffic-related concerns that most people have when they think about industrial development. For example, when that factory was constructed in my brother’s town he and many of his neighbors were quite surprised at how little air pollution is caused. There was, indeed, some effect on their air quality, but it was not nearly as bad as they thought it would be. Not only that, but the construction of the factory led the local government to invest heavily in public transportation for the workers and this has made life more convenient for everyone, not just those who are employed at the plant. This example describes another reason why I would love for a factory to be constructed in my hometown.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that a factory would be a wonderful addition to my community. This is because it would create a lot of employment, and because factories are not as dirty and inconvenient as many people think.