In normal times, there might be many attributes that cities strive to compete on and excel at the global level, including livability, competitiveness, and sustainability, but in any given day and especially in a time of crisis, a city must function well for its citizens.īuilding cities that “work” – inclusive, healthy, resilient, and sustainable – requires intensive policy coordination and investment choices. The measures taken to control the spread of the virus are having massive implications on cities due to their economic structure, their preparedness for such a crisis – especially the state of their public health and service delivery systems – and the extent to which their population’s health and livelihoods are vulnerable, all of which are a function of the effectiveness of their urban governance systems. Simultaneously a health crisis, social crisis, and economic crisis, COVID-19 is laying bare how well cities are planned and managed and the impact this is having on the extent to which each city is able to function – or not – especially during times of crisis.ĬOVID-19 is a massive challenge for cities on the frontline, rich and poor alike. It is impacting not only public health but also the economy and social fabric. Cities across the globe are currently being tested to the extreme with the COVID-19 pandemic. Around 90% of urban expansion in developing countries is near hazard-prone areas and built through informal and unplanned settlements.Ĭities are also in the frontline of combating epidemics. In the 136 biggest coastal cities, there are 100 million people – or 20% of their population – and $4.7 trillion in assets exposed to coastal floods. Almost half a billion urban residents live in coastal areas, increasing their vulnerability to storm surges and sea level rise. Such sprawl puts pressure on land and natural resources, resulting in undesirable outcomes cities consume two thirds of global energy consumption and account for more than 70% of greenhouse gas emissionsĬities play an increasingly important role in tackling climate change, because their exposure to climate and disaster risk increases as they grow. The expansion of urban land consumption outpaces population growth by as much as 50%, which is expected to add 1.2 million km² of new urban built up area to the world in the three decades. Once a city is built, its physical form and land use patterns can be locked in for generations, leading to unsustainable sprawl. Conflicts are on the rise, resulting in 60% of forcibly displaced people living in urban areas. However, the speed and scale of urbanization brings challenges, including meeting accelerated demand for affordable housing, well-connected transport systems, and other infrastructure, basic services, as well as jobs, particularly for the nearly 1 billion urban poor who live in informal settlements to be near opportunities. With more than 80% of global GDP generated in cities, urbanization can contribute to sustainable growth if managed well by increasing productivity, allowing innovation and new ideas to emerge. By 2050, with the urban population more than doubling its current size, nearly 7 of 10 people in the world will live in cities. Today, some 56% of the world’s population – 4.4 billion inhabitants – live in cities.

Urban explorer 2011 online