Post-pandemic Urban Planning: Innovations in Cities and Neighborhoods

Abstract

Historically, major pandemic outbreaks have often been followed by large-scale transformations of the built environment in pursuit of 'healthier' cities and neighborhoods. The COVID-19 pandemic, which began at the end of 2019, has also triggered a wider discussion about urban density, layout and accessibility to public facilities, and so on. However, long-term factors that influence health outcomes from a post-pandemic perspective remains unclear. To fill this gap, the focus of this doctoral research is to explore new directions in urban planning in the post-pandemic era and to develop a healthy model for neighborhood planning under the guidance. To achieve the goals, this study adopts a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis to step-by-step address the target issues, including: 1) a systematic literature review on urban planning responses to pandemics, 2) empirical observations based on residential areas in pandemic epicenters, and 3) data modeling for a post-pandemic neighborhood assessment framework. The systematic review indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought urban planning back to the theme of public health, directing it towards more localized and indigenous working models. At the community level, the ongoing impact of COVID-19 has reshaped the planning structure of residential areas due to emerging lifestyle changes such as reduced residents' travel range, expanded online activities, increased demand for natural and outdoor activity spaces, and enhanced willingness to participate in community management. Through empirical observations and data collection in the city of Wuhan, a post-pandemic neighborhood evaluation system covering four dimensions: physical, environmental, demographic, and socioeconomic, has been established to assist government officials and urban planners in quickly identifying vulnerable areas and promoting health equity.