t was the country’s first public park, spread across almost 800 acres of land fit squarely within the city’s grid system. At the time, it was thought that such a massive green space would be beneficial to both human and environmental health, and the park’s success led to a movement to democratize green spaces across the country. Indeed, New York City’s Central Park was a turning point for green space in the United States. But perhaps most fascinating in the current moment is that America’s first park is the result of pandemic illness.
Historically, pandemics have prompted many of the changes associated with modern cities. After a 1793 yellow fever outbreak in Philadelphia killed over 10% of the city’s population, the mayor initiated emergency funding to clean the gutters. Philadelphia’s efforts were “a harbinger of urban planning reforms,” and over the next 50 years cities would implement sanitation departments and garbage removal. During the 1850s, American cholera outbreaks prompted the development of city public health and urban planning agencies, the likes of which paved the way for the development of Central Park in New York City. By the 20th century, outbreaks of diseases like typhoid and influenza spurred tenement reform and led to the development of urban planning.
Seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, many are asking how the virus might change urban spaces. At the 2020 Global Talent Summit (GTS), a virtual forum where thought leaders from a variety of sectors discussed how education and work are changing for a post-pandemic world, many noted that COVID-19 has offered opportunities to change urban centers for the better. Many voices in urban planning and beyond have offered ideas for how the pandemic might change city life. “Something tells me ‘second-tier cities’ will come out of this stronger than maybe the mega cities,” Sebastien Turbot, CEO of eko6 and GTS presenter offered. “…[Second tier cities] will come out having proven that they’re more resilient than their bigger sisters.”
Other voices in urban planning have identified specific features of urban life, which are likely to change as a result of the pandemic. Architectural solutions like modular construction, a method which involves assembling factory-built components on site to quickly build structures, will come into play. Some think that this prolonged period of social starvation might lead cities to develop more community-oriented spaces, such as parks or promenades. Others think that large gathering centers, such as sporting arenas or shopping malls, will be redesigned to accommodate social distancing.
However, others wonder if cities will change at all after the pandemic. “I broadly don’t think there are going to be as many long-term changes coming out of this pandemic as we think there are right now,” Jody Kelman, Director of Product Management at Lyft and GTS speaker argued. And even if there is change in the aftermath of COVID-19, some wonder if urbanists are focusing on the right changes when they consider post-pandemic city planning. In an article for Curbed, journalist Alissa Walker argues that many plans for urban reform that have emerged during the pandemic reflect pre-pandemic urban agendas, which primarily benefit affluent white communities. Walker notes that open streets and more green space won’t magically result in urban equality. To address the systemic issues that have led to disproportionate COVID-19 deaths in Black and Latinx communities, urbanist proposals for better cities in a post-pandemic world must consider racial, economic, and environmental inequalities.
a global affairs media network
Post-Pandemic Urban Planning
Photo by Olga Krylova via Unsplash.
October 19, 2020
I
t was the country’s first public park, spread across almost 800 acres of land fit squarely within the city’s grid system. At the time, it was thought that such a massive green space would be beneficial to both human and environmental health, and the park’s success led to a movement to democratize green spaces across the country. Indeed, New York City’s Central Park was a turning point for green space in the United States. But perhaps most fascinating in the current moment is that America’s first park is the result of pandemic illness.
Historically, pandemics have prompted many of the changes associated with modern cities. After a 1793 yellow fever outbreak in Philadelphia killed over 10% of the city’s population, the mayor initiated emergency funding to clean the gutters. Philadelphia’s efforts were “a harbinger of urban planning reforms,” and over the next 50 years cities would implement sanitation departments and garbage removal. During the 1850s, American cholera outbreaks prompted the development of city public health and urban planning agencies, the likes of which paved the way for the development of Central Park in New York City. By the 20th century, outbreaks of diseases like typhoid and influenza spurred tenement reform and led to the development of urban planning.
Seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, many are asking how the virus might change urban spaces. At the 2020 Global Talent Summit (GTS), a virtual forum where thought leaders from a variety of sectors discussed how education and work are changing for a post-pandemic world, many noted that COVID-19 has offered opportunities to change urban centers for the better. Many voices in urban planning and beyond have offered ideas for how the pandemic might change city life. “Something tells me ‘second-tier cities’ will come out of this stronger than maybe the mega cities,” Sebastien Turbot, CEO of eko6 and GTS presenter offered. “…[Second tier cities] will come out having proven that they’re more resilient than their bigger sisters.”
Other voices in urban planning have identified specific features of urban life, which are likely to change as a result of the pandemic. Architectural solutions like modular construction, a method which involves assembling factory-built components on site to quickly build structures, will come into play. Some think that this prolonged period of social starvation might lead cities to develop more community-oriented spaces, such as parks or promenades. Others think that large gathering centers, such as sporting arenas or shopping malls, will be redesigned to accommodate social distancing.
However, others wonder if cities will change at all after the pandemic. “I broadly don’t think there are going to be as many long-term changes coming out of this pandemic as we think there are right now,” Jody Kelman, Director of Product Management at Lyft and GTS speaker argued. And even if there is change in the aftermath of COVID-19, some wonder if urbanists are focusing on the right changes when they consider post-pandemic city planning. In an article for Curbed, journalist Alissa Walker argues that many plans for urban reform that have emerged during the pandemic reflect pre-pandemic urban agendas, which primarily benefit affluent white communities. Walker notes that open streets and more green space won’t magically result in urban equality. To address the systemic issues that have led to disproportionate COVID-19 deaths in Black and Latinx communities, urbanist proposals for better cities in a post-pandemic world must consider racial, economic, and environmental inequalities.
