Pandemic-Resilient Urban Centers: A New Way of Thinking for Industrial-Oriented Urbanization in Ethiopia

Abstract

In Ethiopia, the flourishing of industrial parks in the suburbs of major urban centers is a recent phenomenon. The outbreak of COVID-19 has had an adverse impact on the emerging industrial parks and prospects of cluster cities. The aim of this article is to explore the different urban planning measures employed during the pandemic and to propose sound planning methods for the development of sustainable industrial-oriented urban centers. In Ethiopia, industrial-oriented urbanization started in the 1920s with the advent of the railway line. Currently, more than 25 industrial park-based cluster cities have flourished adjacent to cities. A number of initiatives have been undertaken by major stakeholders in these cluster cities to combat COVID-19. Their efforts, however, were made difficult because urban planners were not proactive and did not have foresight in the selection of sites that can mitigate the impact of COVID-19 or other similar pandemics. The researchers believe the problem could have been addressed if the planners used a science-based, human-focused, computer-aided decision-making approach, i.e., space syntax. Therefore, this article recommends that planners become proactive and work in collaboration with different stakeholders for the creation of resilient and livable industrial parks-oriented urban centers.

Trans-Regional Railway Corridor and Its Implication on Urbanization

“…The government followed the SEZ policy approach with the intention of maximizing social and economic development through job creation, export generation, import substitution and know-how and technology transfer from investors. The rate and scale of industrial parks development by the Federal Government, regional states, and private developers has had an affirmative effect on the urbanization processes [37]. These industrial parks have, in turn, intensified the growth and development of already-existing urban centers, or have created cluster cities [37].…”

“…The rate and scale of industrial parks development by the Federal Government, regional states, and private developers has had an affirmative effect on the urbanization processes [37]. These industrial parks have, in turn, intensified the growth and development of already-existing urban centers, or have created cluster cities [37].…”

Measuring and improving public space resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic: Chongqing-China as a case study

“…Given the profound importance of public spaces during the pandemic and to improve their response to the pandemic and avoid their closure and usage restriction, resilience becomes paramount. Resilience holds various meanings in academia, contingent on the aspect or domain under investigation (Ribeiro and Gonçalves, 2019;Alawneh and Rashid, 2022;Mengistu et al, 2022;Sharifi, 2023). Pandemic disaster resilience, in particular, refers to the urban environment's ability to resist a blow without considerable structural or functional alterations (Zhou et al, 2020).…”

Urban Expansion and Its Implication to Build Urban Resilience in Regio-Metropolitan Cities of the Amahara Region, Ethiopia

“…Studies indicated that pandemics could occur everywhere without any hindrance of passing states' sovereignties, and to affect a large number of people irrespective of social status, religion, color, economic status, educational status, etc. [15].…”