WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th April, 2020) Major US cities have failed to effectively handle the coronavirus outbreak due to weak infrastructure and poor access to vital utilities, which has exposed glaring holes in urban planning, experts told Sputnik.
Metro areas in the United States have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. New York City alone has registered nearly 17,600 COVID-19 related deaths, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the national total, Johns Hopkins University data revealed on Wednesday.
"A major mistake of urban planning is allowing more space in our cities exclusive for vehicles than to people," Director of the Institute of Urban and Regional Development at the University of California, Berkeley, Jason Corburn, said.
Corburn called on city planners to change their priorities and provide more safe and accessible space for all people.
"Planners need to work more with people and businesses to identify the best ways to reclaim the city for young people, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and all cultures," he added. "This means that health and wellness starts in our communities."
The expert recognized that urban and environmental management is not linked to public health in contemporary cities.
"Planners made the same mistakes in the 20th century, namely focusing too much on changing people's behaviors, such as more cycling, walking, healthy diets, but not improving infrastructure or addressing the underlying conditions, like poverty and insecure jobs, long commute times, discrimination, and others, that limit our ability to make healthy choices," Corburn said.
Cities Alliance Urban Economic Development Specialist Joshua Drake said the pandemic revealed that contemporary urban infrastructure is not ready for unexpected difficulties like supply shortages.
Drake's organization, which operates a multi-donor fund with the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), focuses on supporting cities to deliver sustainable development and reduce poverty lines.
"Cities that are unprepared to handle even modest disruptions to food, water, and energy supplies, now find themselves totally exposed to the pressures that COVID-19 is applying on public and private services," Drake said. "For example, hand washing is extremely difficult where clean water access is limited."
Urban experts have called on municipalities to plan enough public space to allow people to avoid mass gatherings if needed. This process, however, must be balanced, Drake added.
"On the one hand, some public spaces may need to close to prevent the spread of the disease, whilst on the other hand, public space is a productive asset for the livelihoods of many workers, notably street vendors," Drake said. "In cases where public spaces must close, street vendors must be given sufficient notice and support to maintain their livelihoods."
Drake urged local authorities to weigh these options depending on the level of the pandemic and advisories from health officials.
The Cities Alliance specialist said the pandemic highlights the importance of equality in basic opportunities for different social groups.
"It is vital that the urban poor are given fair access to employment, health, education and public spaces in order to maintain their ability to participate in local economies and civil society," he said.
