Cities: build networks and share plans to emerge stronger from COVID-19

Abstract

C ities are epicentres of the COVID-19 pandemic. From Wuhan to Madrid to São Paulo, the scenes have been grim-wards bursting with patients, queues of refrigerated lorries acting as temporary mortuaries, food-bank lines snaking around empty streets. At the same time, people and animals have thronged streets and parks, while carbon emissions and smog levels have plummeted from New Mexico to Delhi. COVID-19 is still running its course. The immediate aftershocks-job losses, poverty, food scarcity-need addressing urgently. But much has been learnt. The experience is already motivating change. In May, mayors from 38 of the world's largest cities-including Hong Kong, Los Angeles in California and Durban in South Africaannounced a set of principles for redesigning their metropolises to be more sustainable and equitable. Combating climate change is one priority of the Global Mayors COVID-19 Recovery Task Force. Milan, Paris, Bogota Responses to the pandemic in India's slums, Brazil's favelas and Africa's marketplaces show that networks play a crucial part in making cities more resilient. Let's enhance and empower them. Health workers check the temperatures of people in the Dharavi slum in Mumbai, India, as part of coronavirus screening.

How Urban Factors Affect the Spatiotemporal Distribution of Infectious Diseases in Addition to Intercity Population Movement in China

“…Mega-city regions may face greater risks than other regions during epidemic events due to the large and frequent flows between the cities of mega-city regions. Such regions may manage population flows among cities using intercity-travel big data in a collaborative manner to contain infectious diseases [41].…”

Cities and COVID-19: navigating the new normal

“…This in contrast to New York, where delayed implementation of a mask policy was in part a result of having no prior experience with such a contagious airborne disease. (Bai et al, 2020) These examples also shows that patterns in density do not follow the expected trend proponents of de-densification expect. Areas and localities with better systems in play that could mobilize quicker did better in terms of controlling transmission, as compared to equally dense or more dense areas.…”

Ten new insights in climate science 2020 – a horizon scan

“…In 2020, the climate and pandemic crises catalysed the emergence of an informal, yet increasingly powerful global commitment to change: Youth, labour and indigenous climate movements redoubled their commitments to creating and sharing knowledge and pressuring governments and the private sector to act decisively, even in the face of significant hurdles (Hayward, 2020; Whyte, 2020). In July, the United Nations created the Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. Public health researchers, the private sector and health officials urgently collaborated to develop effective responses to COVID-19 (Rourke et al, 2020), and the climate science community continued to advocate for action to address climate change and other systemic risks. Transnational networks of businesses, cities, regions and countries collaborated to fight COVID-19 and to set targets and develop strategies for achieving carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative economies by mid-century (Bai et al, 2020). In October, the International Energy Agency (IEA) acknowledged that net-zero carbon by 2050 was the new standard for a clean energy transition and laid out a roadmap for the world to get there (IEA, 2020a).…”

“…Transnational networks of businesses, cities, regions and countries collaborated to fight COVID-19 and to set targets and develop strategies for achieving carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative economies by mid-century (Bai et al, 2020). In October, the International Energy Agency (IEA) acknowledged that net-zero carbon by 2050 was the new standard for a clean energy transition and laid out a roadmap for the world to get there (IEA, 2020a).…”

“…(2) Public health researchers, the private sector and health officials urgently collaborated to develop effective responses to COVID-19 (Rourke et al, 2020), and the climate science community continued to advocate for action to address climate change and other systemic risks. (3) Transnational networks of businesses, cities, regions and countries collaborated to fight COVID-19 and to set targets and develop strategies for achieving carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative economies by mid-century (Bai et al, 2020). In October, the International Energy Agency (IEA) acknowledged that net-zero carbon by 2050 was the new standard for a clean energy transition and laid out a roadmap for the world to get there (IEA, 2020a).…”