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As the world reels from the COVID-19 pandemic, investment packages are taking shape to provide relief and recovery. Cities from New York to Nairobi are not only on the frontlines of the health and economic impacts, but they provide immense... Read more
We all know that our world is rapidly urbanizing. More and more people are moving to cities in search of a better living. This process is happening fastest in Africa and Asia. The United Nations predicts that urbanization, combined with the overall population growth, could add another 2.5 billion people to urban populations by 2050. Housing has turned into a profound concern not just in Lagos or... Read more
By Kristin Hall, Kerri Wazny The coronavirus outbreak is overwhelming the capacity of health systems across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, despite many countries having robust health systems. While many low- and middle-income countries have not yet reported high case numbers, rapid increases are expected, and the potential consequences are severe. The underreporting of positive cases in many... Read more
The fast-moving challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic adds another urgent reason to ensure that people can shelter at home and protect their health and families.In Europe today, young people cannot afford to rent a flat in many cities; and a growing number of families cannot pay their heating and cooling bills. Globally, more than half of the urban population lives in slums. Proper housing is... Read more
We’re all struggling to stay oriented given the dizzying, dramatic changes that Covid-19 has injected into every facet of our daily life. For many cities and counties, stay-at-home orders have created an alarming shortfall in one of their key revenue sources: sales tax. But there are other incremental revenue opportunities that cities can explore, and now may be the time to do so. One possibility... Read more
Whether you live in a city that is still in the thick of lockdown procedures, or one that is beginning the cautious transition back to some semblance of “normalcy,” now is the time to think about what the reopening process will look like for your community. Be it from a top-down or bottom-up perspective, community engagement and insight-gathering can, and should, play an essential role in the... Read more
“I could be anywhere” is a thought that’s struck me several times during this lockdown period, and I know I’m not alone. For those of us lucky enough to have one, the pandemic has largely confined us to our homes, where we work, study, socialize (see: the meteoric rise of the Zoom happy hour), and even have goods delivered, all from the comfort of the couch. Meanwhile, our ability to engage in... Read more
Cities around the globe are allowing restaurants and cafes to expand into public spaces to enable safe dining after COVID-19 lockdown. It could usher in a new era of socializing outdoors. Streets are also being widened and given over to cyclists, which could also mean greener, cleaner city centres. The Lithuanian capital of Vilnius has become the poster child for how cities can embrace outdoor... Read more
Innovation in cities has alleviated poverty, reduced wasteful resource consumption and achieved incredible economic outcomes. It’s part of the secret sauce that has led to the primacy of cities in today’s world, with urban areas accounting for 67% of global GDP growth, housing a majority of the world’s population and increasingly driving international politics. But while we are good at... Read more
The coronavirus pandemic is taking a heavy toll on communities of color. One recent study found that Black Americans are dying of Covid-19 at three and a half times the rate of Whites. A CDC report suggests that this disproportionate burden could be linked to existing health differences, which are often present in communities with challenging economic and social conditions. Within these... Read more
Architects are proposing ways to incorporate social distancing into urban planning. Strengthening local services to cut back on travel would reduce the spread of infectious disease, such as COVID-19. In their plans, cities are also aiming to become cleaner, greener and healthier. In the once-bustling Eixample district, birdsong and the occasional whir of a food delivery cyclist have replaced... Read more