3.8 Review

What are the lessons from COVID-19 for creating healthy, sustainable, resilient future cities?

Related references

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Role of urban planning characteristics in forming pandemic resilient cities-Case study of Covid-19 impacts on European cities within England, Germany and Italy

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COVID-19, the Built Environment, and Health

Howard Frumkin

Summary: The built environment plays a significant role in the transmission of COVID-19, with risk factors such as crowding, poverty, and poor indoor air circulation. Long-term implications of the pandemic for the built environment may include changes in building design, increased teleworking, and population shifts away from urban centers. Monitoring and adapting to these changes can help optimize healthy built environments during and after the pandemic.

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Mental Health and the City in the Post-COVID-19 Era

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Summary: The article discusses the risks for the mental health and wellbeing of urban-dwellers in relation to the changes in urban spatial structure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the danger of long-term isolation and the negative effects on both individual and collective levels. Research shows that loosening the urban structure and urban sprawl may hinder access to mental health treatment and further contribute to societal isolation.

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How our homes impact our health: using a COVID-19 informed approach to examine urban apartment housing

Terri Peters et al.

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Introducing the 15-Minute City: Sustainability, Resilience and Place Identity in Future Post-Pandemic Cities

Carlos Moreno et al.

Summary: The socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the emergence of the 15-Minute City concept, advocating for more humane, safer, and more inclusive urban development.

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Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to various mitigation strategies being implemented worldwide, affecting both positively and negatively the health of individuals. It is important for national and local authorities to consider long-term urban health equity when designing and implementing COVID-19 mitigation strategies to minimize health risks.

CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH REPORTS (2021)

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Unequal burdens: assessing the determinants of elevated COVID-19 case and death rates in New York City's racial/ethnic minority neighbourhoods

D. Phuong Do et al.

Summary: COVID-19 case and death rates are higher in Black, Hispanic, and other minority communities compared to majority White communities. The increased case rates can be attributed to a larger presence of essential workers in minority communities, but the excess deaths in Black neighborhoods remain unexplained.

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