In the last 100 years, cities have evolved into three different paradigms. Between the 1900s and 1950s, cities were viewed as machines. The evolution took the paradigm of a system between the 1950s and 1995s, to reach the complex system paradigms at the beginning of the 2000s. Cities act like living organisms; they react towards suddens, facts, problems, and pandemics.
In 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic started in China and rapidly reached the globe in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changes the urban planning structures and the existing urban complexes. These changes tackled several divisions in urban planning such as transportation plans, digital infrastructure, the redesigning of public spaces, resilience, and many more.
Resilience
To begin with, resilience is the capacity to overcome problems, severe conditions, and bad suddens in a well-addressed manner.
After the pandemic, governments wisely implemented resilience in their policies of recovery and response. A new strategic planning named pre-disaster occurred in many cities alongside resilient urban forms, healthcare measures, and early warning systems (Afrin, 2021). For example, in Bangladesh cities with a massive population density, the lack of resilient procedures led the pandemic to rapidly hover over them, making resilient procedures hard to accommodate. On the counterpart, European cities and due to organised planning, the pandemic effects were much easier to control and samplify.
The Redesigning of Public Spaces
Even though public spaces are considered the only breathing city spaces and zones for citizens to escape crowds and stress, their functionality was affected during the pandemic. Four characteristics were identified to be working on for better functionality:
Values and priority measures, purpose-related functions, object-related processes, and physical objects (Stevens, 2021).
First, values and measures by which a system measures the reaching of intended goals. For example, public spaces after the COVID started to prioritise safety. Second, allowing social interactions is an illustration of how functions are connected to purpose. Third, processes relating to physical objects started to be more in focus. This is the case of providing sitting areas properly. Finally, the physical objects themselves. This is when the seats are taken into major accountability to provide proper sitting areas.
Digital Infrastructure
COVID impacted the digital infrastructure sector in two ways: The telecommunication and digital economy sectors (ITU). Some countries such as Lebanon, showed a massive deterioration and outdating in the telecommunication web. While all activities turned to virtual mode, the Lebanese infrastructure was a catastrophe. For instance, online educational services were corrupted during the pandemic.
When it comes to the digital economy sector, things are slightly different. Markets, retail, and shops started to take the virtual form: customers have since then depended on digital economic activities rather than on-site ones.
Transportation Plans
The pandemic affected the transportation plans in cities, towns, and the countryside: since cars and public transportation helped in the rapid spread of COVID-19, new measures were taken into consideration (Soussa). For example, the walking and cycling culture has been highly put into focus since 2020. Cities started promoting additional bike lanes, minimising the cost of bike-sharing, and restricting car circulation.
At present, many Italian cities are including this culture in their agendas such as Bari, Palermo, Turin, and Milan. On a parallel line, England and France created investment packages for new eras of cycling.
The Response Plan of UN-Habitat and The European Parliament Report Urbanly speaking and on a global level, the response Plan of UN-Habitat focused on three sections: support for the government and community-driven solutions in informal settlements, urban data alongside information and mapping, and mitigating economic impact and initiating recovery (UN-Habitat, 2020). These responses are highly seen in Latin America and The Caribbean, Asia Pacific, Arab States, and Africa.
In February 2022, The Parliament recommended that urban area resolutions focus on inclusivity, sustainability, innovation, and learning-based cities (European Parliament). Moreover, this resolution focuses on raising vital calls for green and digital transitions, and tailor-made policy initiatives. According to the report, 15% of funding is to be serving urban areas, and the European Urban Initiative should receive greater budgets and scopes.
Cities have evolved into three paradigms over the past 100 years, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing significant changes in urban planning structures. Resilience is crucial for overcoming problems and severe conditions, and governments have implemented pre-disaster planning, healthcare measures, and early warning systems. Public spaces have been redesigned to prioritise safety, social interactions, and proper sitting areas. Digital infrastructure has been impacted by the pandemic, with some countries like Lebanon experiencing a massive deterioration in telecommunications and digital economy sectors. Transportation plans have been affected, with cities promoting walking and cycling culture, minimising car circulation, and promoting additional bike lanes. The UN-Habitat response plan focuses on government and community-driven solutions in informal settlements, urban data, and mitigating economic impact. The European Parliament recommended urban area resolutions focus on inclusivity, sustainability, innovation, and learning-based cities, with 15% of funding allocated to urban areas and the European Urban Initiative receiving greater budgets and scopes.
References:
Afrin, S. (2021). COVID-19 Pandemic: Rethinking Strategies for Resilient Urban Design, Perceptions, and Planning. Frontiers. [Online]. Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsc.2021.668263/full
Stevens, N. (May 12, 2021). The Adaptive Capacity of Public Spaces Under COVID-19. National Library of Medicine. [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8239644/
ITU. Economic Impact of COVID-19 On Digital Infrastructure. [Online]. Available at: https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-d/opb/pref/D-PREF-EF.COV_ECO_IMPACT-2020-PDF-E.pdf
Soussa, N. Planning Cities for Pandemics: A Review of Urban and Transport Planning Lessons from COVID-19. [Online]. Available at: https://estudogeral.uc.pt/bitstream/10316/113856/1/Pandemics_MUEN_postprint.pdf
UN-Habitat. (April, 2020). UN-Habitat COVID-19 Response Plan. [Online]. Available at: https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2020/04/final_un-habitat_covid-19_response_plan.pdf
European Parliament. Urban Areas in The Post-Covid Era: Challenges and Future Pathways. [Online]. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2022/729284/EPRS_ATA(2022)729284_EN.pdf
List of Images
1_Distancing. [Photograph]. Available at: https://council.science/blog/the-implications-of-covid-19-on-urban-development-research-in-africa/
2_Johnes, G. Covid Recovery. [Photograph]. Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-23/what-a-coronavirus-recovery-could-look-like
3_Reimagining Public Spaces. [Photograph]. Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-23/what-a-coronavirus-recovery-could-look-like
4_Nguyen, N. Post-Pandemic Infrastructure. [Photograph]. Available at: https://www.csis.org/analysis/post-pandemic-infrastructure-and-digital-connectivity-indo-pacific
5_Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Public Transport. [Photograph]. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_on_public_transport
6_Sesarino, N. 15-Minute City. [Photograph]. Available at: https://toposmagazine.com/post-covid-city/
