How COVID-19 may change our urban life?
collections and reflections of ideas
Couple weeks ago in Los Angeles Times, there was an op-ed titled ‘How (Urban) Sprawl may have saved lives’ which aroused huge controversy and angers among city planners and urbanists. Many worried that the rhetoric of such would undermine the contemporary urban trend in density, livability, and physical-to-social cohesion. Although it is still early to conclude how COVID-19 may change urban planning, it might be good for us to start reflecting our work and the relevancies of the current topic. Here are some view points I collected and please also share your observations too!
Topics worth Concerning:
2020 supposed to be United Nation’s important year of global climate negotiation. But with the postponed COP26, in which countries should propose a tougher measures to cut emission, the agenda is falling behind the priority. Even though some may argue that a later binding low carbon stimulus package could be effective for recovering, and a new(?) US president might return support of Paris Agreement, the situation is not to be optimistic.
The world had a brief break from air pollution, but countries will soon focus on the economic recovery and there will be a rebound. Especially when the oil price is low, it is easier for many to go back to the petroleum-based economy, rather than green economy. How can we better use of our time to quickly layout the plausible pathway?
The revival of sub-urban, sprawling growth model may be around the corner. Home and business owners will value the risk of pandemic exposure against urban density.
Urban retails will further decline and be replaced by online shopping. Restaurants are facing the unprecedented crisis and many also turn to delivery only. With less retails and restaurants, the urban experience will be harder to upkeep.
Social inequality will continue to worsen. Not everyone can work from home, or simply afford not working/commuting. The crisis exposes the most vulnerable in our society, and the uneven distribution of space and resources.
Potential Opportunities of Changes
Regardless the pandemic’s adverse impacts on our urban life, there are certainly opportunities and necessities which await us to explore and advocate:
Identify What are Essential: During the lock-down, it is a real-time experiment on identifying what truly matter: Reachable food, fresh air, clean water, post delivery, waste management, social connection and school system support etc. The more essentials we can identify, the better we can strengthen our infrastructure. On the other hand, there are also things we can live without: less unnecessary meeting, less air travel, less trips… etc.
Sociable Buildings: We should design better balcony, porch, private and semi-private open space that encourage the visual connection and direct/indirect social interaction between neighbors and pedestrians.
Better Pedestrian Experience: Design wider sidewalk, more diversities in pathway configurations which allow people to walk side-by-side, passing by easily, and avoid people gracefully. : ) Provide space to sit/rest in reasonable separation but not disconnect from the public life.
Radical Localization: Life under lockdown makes people look closer around , pay more attention to the people walking by, and spent more time with families and neighbors. People tend to shop at local providers, and might form even smaller farmer’s markets such as micro-market proposed for temporary use.
Window-shop Storefront: Shopping mall is certainly not the way to go. Instead, the future retail shops might have wider windows to showcase the products, and with narrower and shallower cashier to pick up. Shoppers will spend more time on sidewalk, not in stores.
More Outdoor Workplace: Companies will accept more flexible and fluid work schedule and seat configuration. If the outdoor space allows, a conversion to a work-compatible garden or café is entirely possible.
Car Free Streets: During lock-down, many cities realized that they can keep the car out even after re-opening, for example the program in Seattle Stay Healthy Street propose regular closure for playground and other rotating program. It is time to re-evaluate the relationship with car, promote the wider bike lane lanes and other mobilities’ needs.
Therapeutic Nature: While it should be cautious when going out, many people find it critical to reconnect with nature and maintain physical and mental health. More evidences here of the outdoor environment and public health should not be forget.
Animal-aided Design: Many citizens observed increased urban wildlife activity while people are absent. The recognition is important, because it’s not only human but wildlife live in the cities. It is a good time to promote more nature inclusive design in urban built environment.
Urban Agriculture: A way to reduce food dependency and reduce the trips to grocery. Also when people spend more time at home, there are more opportunities to tend the cultivation.
Open Space and Park Design: The design of parks would be less program specific, more flexibility in passive use. On one hand, the parks must to provided much needed spaces such as de-centralized outdoor exercise and playground. On the other hand, with less foot traffic and maintenance budget, the vegetation could re-wilden the parks.
New Technologies: Anti-bacteria or anti-virus materials will be applied more. Doors will be designed to be opened easily without hands. Touchless technologies as well as other tele-communication methods will be more preferred.
A New Urbanism Movement?: Similar to late 19th century, the park movement responded to the crowded industrial cities; In early 20 century Spanish flu and other pandemic brought up sanatorium movement which directly contribute to the modernism in architecture. Writing in City of Tomorrow, Le Corbusier said: “Hygiene and moral health depend on the lay-out of cities. Without hygiene and moral health, the social cell becomes atrophied.” Pandemic is always urbanism’s problem, but on the other hand shapes the course of its path.
Social Equality Through Open Space/Public Investment: Inequality between social class make the pandemic even more dangerous. A society can only recover when the least advantaged community get the helps they need. Open space and public service provide accessible platform for resource redistribution.
Resiliency and Adaptation: It is important to recognize that COVID-19 will not be the last pandemic to come. It serve as reminder of how cities adapt and cope with the hazards and disturbances of uncertainties. Next time it may takes different forms and patterns. Therefore, planning and design decisions shall be informed by evidence and yet approach in an holistic way.
Ecosystem service: For whom to harness
Ecosystem service is the fundamental element in the narrative of performative landscape and green infrastructure. It translates beneficial nature processes into built environments, and validates natural system based design approaches. As a landscape architect, it is crucial to acquire the ability to analyze, translate, and deliver what nature has to offer to the public. But yet, how much of the share could/should we harness? Who entitle to the benefits? G.V. Chang recently shared his own observation and thoughts from the professional and teaching practice in the lecture at Academy of Art University, San Francisco.
preparation of Post-2020 biodiversity framework
The upcoming COP15 of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming, China, is expected to become the “Paris Moment” for biodiversity, the conservation of nature and ecosystems and the implementation of nature-based solutions as it will be defining the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
10th Resilient Cities Congress 2019, Bonn, germany
Urban landscapes are the building blocks of cities’ resilience. A better positioning of landscape architecture in local governance can significantly accelerate the implementation of Nature-base Solutions. See panel recap here.
Water security and climate change conference
GV Chang presented in 2017 Water Security and Climate Change Conference in Cologne, Germany. He also participated in the event “Meet the Scientists“ and the drafting of Cologne Declaration.
low impact development in SOil water assessment tool
Working with University of Cologne, Institute of Geography, G.V. Chang investigated the newly available Low Impact Development (LID) module in Soil Water Assessment Toll and tested in Mula Mutha Basin and Dattawali Basin within the City of Pune, India. The result and report can be download here.
Urban Transition Alliance
Cities from United States, Europe and China with industrial legacy can learn from each other in the Urban Transition Alliance, where knowledge and experiences are learned and shared. GV Chang contributed in its final report.
