More to read on urban futures, spurred by Covid-19

Last changed: 03 February 2021

Beyond humans: responses of urban wildlife to the COVID-19 pandemic

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, news websites and social media have been filled with stories about wildlife comebacks in urban areas due to the lockdowns in many parts of the world. But did swans and dolphins actually return to Venice? Urban wildlife researcher Tim Hofmeester at SLU argues that these news stories tell us something about humans as well as wildlife.

The View from the Envelope: the experience of being locked down without landscape

Dr Julian Raxworthy, Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Queensland, reflects on the subjective experience of the lockdown from a city on the Arabian peninsula, and on how that experience re-casts how he sees public space.

Plant, face-mask and photograph by Richard Allenby Pratt from his "Abandoned & Consumption" series 2014.

Messy informality and the evolution of the urban village in China in times of pandemic

Focusing on the urban village, Guanchao Liu and Gini Lee from the University of Melbourne, seek to look at public space through the lens of one of the critical aspects of pandemic management - food security.

Restaurant in the urban village occupying the transitional zone between street and restaurant, one of dozens that line the street. The urban village housing rises behind the restaurant.

The Post-Covid City - a return to status quo ante?

When lockdown ends, will we return to the status quo ante? More likely, our uses of space will change. Here and there, steps have already been taken: a good opportunity to reflect on the city in this new context. Francis Nordemann, architect and urban planner living in Paris is reflecting on the post-Covid city from a French point of view.

A cafe brasserie in Paris os partly re-opening after Covid-19.

COVID-19 and the Need for Equitable Urban Advocacy

The COVID-19 lockdown hit Toronto like the eye of a hurricane. While the virus was causing chaos for our ill-prepared healthcare system and brought the economy to a precarious standstill, it all felt strangely still. Read Daniel Rotsztain reflections on Covid-19 and social distancing through an equity lense.