Cities must reassess what is needed post-pandemic

THE Covid-19 pandemic has been a wake-up call for us on all fronts. It has shaken our confidence in cities to be resilient and sustainable. Across the globe, Covid-19 has threatened cities and communities, endangering not only public health, but also disrupting the economy and the fabric of society.

The impact Covid-19 has on cities has highlighted the need for urban planners and municipalities to re-evaluate what a city needs to be resilient in the "new normal" - whether it is reconsidering public infrastructure that would minimise contact, facilitating increased sanitation, coping with heightened demand for essentials, or even managing the effective delivery of municipal services in these circumstances.

While it is still too early to draw conclusions around the pandemic, Swiss business school Institute of Management Development (IMD), which publishes the annual Smart City Index, found that smart cities - or cities that have successfully incorporated digitalisation into their urban planning - demonstrated greater effectiveness in handling the pandemic.