Adapting Outdoor Space for Post COVID-19

Abstract

Great disasters such as earthquakes, epidemics, environmental calamities have been known to trigger transformations of the built infrastructure, environment and give rise to unpredicted or unexpected conditions of social, cultural, and economic development. The fragility of settlement systems, when faced with unexpected threats, indicates the need for re-planning and changing our perspective on the city. This paper examines the effect of COVID-19 and its related social and infrastructure changes on cities and metropolitan regions. It looks at the literature on how pandemics have affected the built environment in the past and postulates how the current pandemic might affect the structure and morphology of cities examining evidence from the imposed lockdowns. An in-depth look at the transformation of the city of Melbourne (Australia) is explored and initiatives in other cities are highlighted. Moreover, 15-min cities can cut carbon emissions and bring communities closer together.