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The new coronavirus epidemic has turned the world outside our home into a desert. Today, aside from the necessary staff, the public has rarely stepped on public spaces. For most people, the world has shrunk to the size of a house.
In the 21st century, “SARS”, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Ebola, Avian Influenza and Swine Influenza have appeared, and now new coronaviruses have appeared. If we have truly entered the era of the virus pandemic, how should we design the city of the future so that outdoor activities are no longer restricted areas, but remain safe and livable?
In fact, the city has made tremendous progress in disease prevention. Science journalist Sonia Shah said that living in cities used to reduce people’s life expectancy. Now the situation has improved, but the busy city center remains one of the major problems in the infectious disease epidemic.
If there are no quick and effective public health measures to deal with the spread of the virus, the larger the city and the closer the connection, the faster the spread of infectious diseases. It is estimated that by 2050, 68% of the world population will live in cities. Therefore, it is more urgent to design better cities to deal with infectious diseases.
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Different situations in the city.
Not all cities are vulnerable to disease. A rich city like Copenhagen has many green spaces and bicycle facilities. But for those who live informally in underdeveloped cities like Nairobi, Kenya or Dhaka, Bangladesh, the situation is completely different.
Elvis Garcia, a public health expert and professor at Harvard University, said that without adequate sanitation and clean water, “this is where infectious diseases are most likely to start and spread.”
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“It is estimated that 20 years later, 20% of the population will live in an urban environment without reliable water and sanitation infrastructure,” he said.
Solving basic sanitation problems is the first step in building a sanitation city. “This means adequate water, sanitation systems and quality housing,” said Garcia.
Viruses as clusters
Population density is another important factor affecting the spread of infectious diseases, because population density can cause crowds to gather and increase the probability of spread.
Wuhan, China, where the new coronavirus outbreak broke out, is the most densely populated city in central China, with a population of 11 million. Also in the United States, New York, where the epidemic is severe, is the most densely populated city.
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From how to transform urban space, we can see what cities that can resist infectious diseases will look like in the future.
Cities around the world are blocking streets to give more space to people. For example, Oakland, California, USA. The US has even closed 74-mile-long city streets, prohibiting vehicles from driving, and giving more space to pedestrians and bicyclists.
“Green time”
During the epidemic, access to a large number of green spaces is also important for the physical and mental health of urban residents.
Maranthi Tatari, architect at the Dutch studio UNStudio, said that “20 minutes of” green time “every day helps us to deal with the current situation with a healthy and benevolent attitude.”
Changes in interior design.
Jo da Silva, director of global sustainability at engineering firm ARUP, suggested that we may also need to change the interior design.
She said that in a shared building, more than one elevator and several common stairs should be considered.
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Our house also needs to change. To make them more energy efficient, many workplaces, apartments, and apartment buildings do not have openable windows. Lydia Kallipoliti, associate professor of architecture at Cooper Union College, said that if we have more time to stay indoors, the house needs better ventilation and light.
She said “sick building syndrome,” which often occurs when the building is completely closed and pathogens circulating through its own system, should be avoided.
adaptability
Johan Woltjer, professor at the University of Westminster School of Architecture and Cities in the UK, believes that if infectious diseases become part of our lives, cities should be more resilient.
He said: “In our current crisis, this will mean building temporary housing, building more flexible medical centers, and providing these spaces in the city.”
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Wuhan built a hospital with 1,000 beds in 10 days
An example of this is the Temporary Nightingale Hospital in London, which was converted from a conference center and took just 9 days to accommodate 4,000 patients. And Wuhan built a hospital with 1,000 beds in 10 days.
For cities designed to resist the infectious disease pandemic, having the space and capacity to build these temporary institutions is a basic requirement. But perhaps more than that, Watje believes the city also needs to be able to change quickly, deliver basic supplies, and provide services from shopping to basic products and evacuation routes.
Defend against epidemics.
Making the most of our current space, implementing additional sanitary measures and providing more space for pedestrians will be the key characteristics of cities that can withstand epidemics in the future.
But architect and design expert Davina Jackson said some major changes to the city won’t be as obvious as a beautiful new building or a large new park. She believes that future urban design must be able to cope with invisible flow like a global virus.
For example, he said, MIT Perception City Laboratory researchers placed sensors in sewers to detect illegal drugs and harmful bacteria in specific areas. Cities built in response to epidemics can be covered with hidden sensors to help map disease transmission.
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Self sufficient
Another important aspect of building an epidemic-resistant city is: access to food.
In our globalized world, resources from all corners of the world can reach the city center in a few hours or days, and viruses will catch up.
The new coronavirus outbreak first broke out in Wuhan. A large railway station in Wuhan connects the city with the rest of China, as well as with a busy international airport. Before the Chinese authorities blocked Wuhan, 5 million people left the city.
Shah suggested that to reduce risks, cities may need to be more localized and self-sufficient in the future.
There are already a few examples that urban agriculture can feed millions of people, but building a self-sufficient city remains a challenge.
García also believes that the future city needs to be more localized, not only in terms of food, but also in the facilities of daily life.
A good example is Melbourne, Australia. Prior to the outbreak of the New Coronavirus, Melbourne was conducting a “20 minute circle of life” pilot. From shopping to medical care and sports, almost all of the facilities citizens needed were within a 20 minute walk or bike ride.
Location and globalization.
Localization can also help solve another key point in the fight against epidemics: public transport. Although public transportation is greener, public transportation is not an ideal mode of transportation during an outbreak.
Wattje said the city needs to provide more cycling measures, and the city may need to provide more trails, so that people have other ways to travel, not on the same road or taking the same kind of transportation.
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However, in facing a severe epidemic around the world, we cannot simply rely on construction to solve the problem.
The architect Palomba (Poberto Palomba) believes that before considering the construction of a new city, the first priority should be to prevent the appearance of new diseases.
If we are well prepared for infectious diseases, our city may be similar to today, but with less congestion, more open space, and more local resources for self-sufficiency.
