Reclaiming and Transforming Cities During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: American and Global Examples

Abstract

In addition to the tragic loss of millions of lives worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic also had other unintended and unexpected socio-economic and cultural consequences. Related to this book’s focus, a mandated reorganization of social spaces aimed at containing the pandemic both at micro-and macro-levels in urban environments required urban administrators and spatial planners to implement new strategies to maintain cities’ economic and social vitality, which in turn redefined citizens’ use of urban spaces such as shop** malls and business districts, streets and transportation hubs. Of note are two distinctly different paradigmatic approaches, namely, the “liberal” paradigm that mostly focused on resolving issues related to distribution and consumption of commodities and a more efficient use of urban spaces; and the progressive “Right to the City” paradigm that was mindful of the organic, interwoven relation between production and distribution in cities—a prerequisite analytical framework to tackle issues of social and economic equity as well as social and spatial justice. Thus, while the former approach mostly focused on opening the deserted urban streets for pedestrian use and enhancing economic vitality of adjoining businesses; the latter was more concerned about “systemic urban vulnerabilities” including health care provision, housing opportunities, informal and unplanned urbanization, and lack of adequate sanitation and water purification facilities. Considering persisting social inequalities in urban environments and inequalities of access to urban spaces, the chapter also examines limited viability of liberal solutions such as provision of free bus rides or adding open urban spaces as short-term band-aid solutions; compared with the progressive planners’ cognizance of changing dynamics of global capitalist economy during and after the pandemic, requiring new strategies for short- and long-term provision of more equitable access to housing and other urban services.