The COVID-19 pandemic: Impacts on cities and major lessons for urban planning, design, and management

Abstract

Since the early days of the COVID-19 crisis the scientific community has constantly been striving to shed light on various issues such as the mechanisms driving the spread of the virus, its environmental and socio-economic impacts, and necessary recovery and adaptation plans and policies. Given the high concentration of population and economic activities in cities, they are often hotspots of COVID-19 infections. Accordingly, many researchers are struggling to explore the dynamics of the pandemic in urban areas to understand impacts of COVID-19 on cities. In this study we seek to provide an overview of COVID-19 research related to cities by reviewing literature published during the first eight months after the first confirmed cases were reported in Wuhan, China. The main aims are to understand impacts of the pandemic on cities and to highlight major lessons that can be learned for post-COVID urban planning and design. Results show that, in terms of thematic focus, early research on the impacts of COVID-19 on cities is mainly related to four major themes, namely, (1) environmental quality, (2) socio-economic impacts, (3) management and governance, and (4) transportation and urban design. While this indicates a diverse research agenda, the first theme that covers issues related to air quality, meteorological parameters, and water quality is dominant, and the others are still relatively underexplored. Improvements in air and water quality in cities during lockdown periods highlight the significant environmental impacts of anthropogenic activities and provide a wake-up call to adopt environmentally friendly development pathways. The paper also provides other recommendations related to the socio-economic factors, urban management and governance, and transportation and urban design that can be used for post-COVID urban planning and design. Overall, existing knowledge shows that the COVID-19 crisis entails an excellent opportunity for planners and policy makers to take transformative actions towards creating cities that are more just, resilient, and sustainable.

How (Un)sustainable Environments Are Related to the Diffusion of COVID-19: The Relation between Coronavirus Disease 2019, Air Pollution, Wind Resource and Energy

“…DeWit et al [38], to reduce the risk of exposure of Japanese cities to new infectious diseases [4], point out that the goal of protecting public health has to be associated with the promotion of accelerated decarbonization and a resilient and sustainable development. In fact, Sharifi and Khavarian-Garmsir [39] argue that the lessons learned from this health crisis for post-COVID urban planning should be directed towards improvements in air and water quality to create cities with more resilient and sustainable environments for the benefit of human society [17]. Finally, Wells ([40], p. 29) states that "the COVID 19 pandemic can act as a catalytic event in which the legitimacy and efficacy of existing economic and political structures will be challenged and reshaped, and hence is an opportunity to redefine the ecological burdens our activities create".…”

Investigating the malleable socioeconomic resilience pathway to urban cohesion: a case of Taipei metropolitan area

“…This clustering effect of human activities overburdens the natural and social progressions, brings significant mutation to the socioeconomic dimension, and causes an increasingly polarized and spatial restructure in the urban system. Every so often, this process triggers unequal gentrification and segregation in communities and income groups, especially in the distribution of urban services, civic spaces, public health, and other essential amenities (Duggal 2020 ; Ling et al 2020 ; Sharifi and Khavarian-Garmsir 2020 ; Ilgen et al 2019 ; Quintana-Romero et al 2019 ; Krefis et al 2018 ; Ling and Lin 2018 ; Lechner et al 2016 ; Vale 2014 ).…”

“…When facing unexpected challenges and threats, cities must incorporate resilience in the implementation of urban plans and policies to respond to shocks, stresses, and uncertainties (Ling et al 2020 ; UN 2020 ; Meerow et al 2019 ). For example, UN has already stressed that approximately 95% of COVID-19 cases have taken place in urban settlements, with over 1500 cities affected worldwide (UN 2020 ); therefore, any processional solution must substantiate the social, economic, health, and territorial facets (Sharifi and Khavarian-Garmsir 2020 ; Meerow et al 2019 ; Urso et al 2019 ; Sanches et al 2018 ; Haase et al 2014 ). The course of actions taken will trigger a complex urban–rural restructuring and poses numerous challenges for urban development, economic sustenance, and sustainable development agendas.…”

“…The course of actions taken will trigger a complex urban–rural restructuring and poses numerous challenges for urban development, economic sustenance, and sustainable development agendas. Undeniably, it must accommodate and quickly integrate the sociospatial network through system interactions that acquire the exchange of materials, water, energy, capitals in many forms, and new thinking in public health and urban planning (Sharifi and Khavarian-Garmsir 2020 ; Ling et al 2020 ). In broader patterns of urban change, notably increased segregation within cities and the impact of shifting patterns of work and consumption should be alerted (Hall and Burdett 2017 ).…”

“…The resilience concept has been discussed broadly in the empirical contexts or including the implication to urban planning strategies (UN 2020 ; Sharifi and Khavarian-Garmsir 2020 ; Krefis et al 2018 ). The urban systems where we live are characterized by a low level of resilience and, therefore, require synergistic actions for the enhancement and effectiveness of responses to stimuli and urban adaptation and mitigation (Moraci et al 2020 ; UNISDR 2016 ).…”