Resilient Cities and Built Environment: Urban Design, Citizens and Health. Learning from COVID-19 Experiences

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely hit urban areas around the world, where approximately 55% of the world’s population lives. It has tested the ability of their authorities and residents to respond to multiple challenges and not fail in terms of public health, social, economic and political aspects. This chapter questions the role of urban environments in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. In particular, we examine (i) how urban environments and their characteristics have accelerated or slowed the progression of the virus and are associated with a greater or lower incidence of the virus; (ii) how their characteristics have contributed to the strengthening or to the reduction of pre-existing socio-spatial inequalities of their inhabitants, with particular attention to social and psychological resilience; and (iii) what interventions have been carried out locally to enhance the resilience of cities when responding to future pandemics.