Prior to what can be described as the great upset of the century, brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic that exposed key areas of unpreparedness, cities were inflexibly ingrained in customs of social interactions and proclivity, epitomized by norms of unconstrained use of human and natural energy, and space.
Most importantly too, cities were increasingly becoming quite hard to manage as they continually make room for more people than they can sustainably cope with, fetching ills in pollution, overcrowding, traffic congestion and crime. Thus, to ponder on the workings of a typical boisterous city, is to rekindle flashbacks of wanton messiness, reminiscent of the pre-pandemic days. Furthermore, these immutable attributes: unabating and unpausing CO2 emissions, hyper-congestion of traffic and pedestrian activities, overpopulation, crime and inequality, often imperilled booming cities. Although, this representation of how things subsisted in cities prior to much of 2020 may not evoke the essence of the proverbial halcyon days; in the way things were, it was a time of relative calm and consistency. For instance, all stakeholders commuting and planning within them, having no alternative frame of reference were somewhat managing to find their calm within the storm. The obvious routines in how the ecosystem of cities were wired bred needless commotion and bottleneck as much of their congestion stemmed from the traffic of the throngs of commuters and single occupancy vehicles that overwhelm their limited spaces, due to the concentration of offices, high street retail shops, and organisations in them. This medley is further exacerbated by constraints presented via the ordering of events around set time for city people to mingle and get their daily economic activities done. The standardised timing of events (opening time - lunch time - closing time) compels workers and other users alike to flock en-masse in and around cities, placing significant pressure on city infrastructure and the utility of city spaces. In addition, should the compounding effect of the forces of nature; elicited by weather perturbations like rain, cold and heavy winds be considered, their inescapable and incessant negative impact on the autonomy and wellbeing of users and commuters alike, present an odd coupling. But as stakeholders helplessly observe and haplessly bemoan the otherworldly scenery of ‘great quiet’ and ‘mass solitude’ produced by the Covid-19 lockdowns; the unconstrained interactions of people (hugging, talking and shaking hands), places (teeming and brimming with movements) and processes that this zombie like scenery replace, cause the often limited definition of resilience to percolate into unchartered territory. While to the untrained eyes this change may appear to be transitory, and little more than an unwelcome distraction; there is an unveiling of clear paradigm-shifting distinctive insights to those who plan cities and to the research and project management inclined. Thus, as a researcher, these observations pose to me, the following questions: Should the rethinking of cities engender innovation that wholly support inclusivity, resilience and responsiveness? Should the practitioners in the myriad domains of pedagogy and research boldly confront the evanescence of the once rigid reality of resilience as availability? To this end, this column by its monthly delivery will channel the events of 2020 to exploratorily and explicatively enact alternate frames of reference, using examples from all around the world on how new experiences are distilling the old to a rethinking of cities and public spaces. Yours truly, Shadé Adepeju-Joseph DipM MA MS PMP FCIM
8 Comments
Tori Simpson
9/12/2020 04:11:09 pm
As the pandemic has highlighted, our current cities are not resilient enough to bounce back after global changes. It is doubtful spaces such as the tube, or busy office hubs will ever be the same again. However, exemplified by the pandemic as well as impending events, for example climate change, the world isn’t going back to normal any time soon, and our cities will only have to become more resilient and able to adapt to the rolling times. When given the opportunity to rethink our cities, we should build them to be able to overcome these changes, as well as other challenges that haven’t arisen yet. Cities are built on 3% of the worlds land yet responsible for 60% of global GDP, so we need them to thrive. They also account for 70% of carbon emissions, so on the other hand, they will be our downfall. Urban areas are only going to increase, but there is no clear path forward to safer, resilient, and sustainable cities. So, when thinking about this expansion, why not be prepared and address future issues? Why not aim to solve not just the current problems, but also create development pathways that make room for safer cities?
Reply
Shade Adepeju-Joseph - Columnist
15/12/2020 02:06:14 pm
Thank you, Tori, for your contribution.
Reply
Renee Etokakpan
9/12/2020 07:13:37 pm
To the first of the questions you posed, I would say yes. Resilience does not simply refer to stasis, but also a willingness to adapt to social, political, economic, and environmental change/triggers. This requires engaging with marginalised voices and establishing feedback mechanisms to ensure our reconceptualisation of the city exceeds a rebranding of pre-existing structures. A 2020 report from Withers Worldwide has projected a decline in the Central Business District, a resurgence of the local high street, and a rise in multi-functional buildings.
Reply
Shade Adepeju-Joseph - Columnist
15/12/2020 02:27:03 pm
Thank you, Renee, for your contribution.
Reply
Kirtana Krishnakumar
10/12/2020 08:00:56 pm
The somewhat haphazard attempts to regulate cities during the pandemic certainly reveals faults in our city structures. However, perhaps they more so reveal our misguided priorities. Urban planners should certainly prioritize inclusivity, resilience, and responsiveness, but cities’ capitalist foundations may hinder them. Stakeholders and our capitalist society in general are driven by profit maximization and innovative efficiency. They demand quick results too, something difficult when urban planners must account for myriad factors as you mentioned, issues ranging from carbon emissions, traffic safety, crime, inequality, housing availability, and more. Meanwhile, our capitalism thrives on urbanization, which in turn causes overpopulation, then reduces quality of life—especially for the most marginalized—and returns to exacerbate the above issues. Worst of all, the economy revels on the population despite the squalor. With such rapid, ever-changing conditions, urban planners would likely struggle to accommodate cities in the first place before even hoping to consider upgrades and sustainability. Any reduction in productivity due to restructuring would face backlash. So how can urban planners heal cities when stakeholders only have patience for band-aids? The pandemic may have invited researchers to rethink space, health and safety when planning cities, but unsystematic responses to the pandemic suggests that economic incentives may still take precedence over environmental and health concerns. Even so, perhaps this takes an overly grim perspective. Maybe initial confusion and COVID mismanagement led to a quicker economic deterioration that simply required governments to prioritize their economies. If this is the case, then infrastructure spending may solve urban planners’ dilemma; increased development in less urban areas could diffuse the overpopulation or simply improve transport chains enough to reduce commuting. Increased online workspaces may also change city usage trends, which could ease urban planners’ burdens and allow them to improve cities’ resilience.
Reply
Shade Adepeju-Joseph - Columnist
15/12/2020 02:44:53 pm
Thank you, Kirtana, for your contribution.
Reply
Alexia Mihaila
28/12/2020 04:52:19 am
Although cities have already come a long way regarding disease prevention, the COVID-19 pandemic proved that current cities’ frameworks are still developing in order to be tailored to personal comfort and efficiency in mobility.
Reply
Shade Adepeju-Joseph - Columnist
28/12/2020 06:50:24 am
Thank you, Alexia for your contribution. You provided excellent examples and also utilised diverse views in your rendering.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
About ShadéHello! I am Shadé Adepeju-Joseph, and I will be a columnist on the Blog team. Archives
February 2021
Categories |