Cities Under COVID-19: A Systems Perspective

Foreword
Contents
Editors and Contributors
Introduction
1 Urban Connectivity and the Systems Approach
2 A Systems Approach for a Systemic Disease
3 Quick Fixes vs. Systemic Solutions to COVID-19
4 Case Studies—Cities Under COVID-19
5 Conclusion
References
BRAZIL: COVID-19 in São Paulo
1 Introduction
2 The City and COVID-19: General Aspects
3 Social and Economic Vulnerability: The Impact of COVID-19 in the “Different Parallel Cities” Contained in São Paulo
4 Political Noise in Times of Pandemics
5 The Response of Scientists
6 The Response of the Health Sector
7 Concluding Remarks
References
CAMEROON: Epidemiological Insights, Public Health Response, and Potential Psycho-Socio-Economic Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic in Douala—A Population-Based Study
1 Introduction
2 Material and Methods
2.1 Study Area
2.2 Study Design and Sampling
2.3 Method
2.4 Data Collection and Management
2.5 Ethical Approval
3 Results and Comments
3.1 General Epidemiology of the Pandemic
4 COVID-19 in Douala: A Worrying, but not Alarming Epidemiological and Clinical Situation
5 Learning from Experience: Health-Specific Measures Taken to Address COVID-19 in Douala
6 Douala City Dwellers’ Attitudes Towards COVID-19 Health Measures
7 Economic Implications and Psychosocial Impact Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic in Douala
7.1 Economic Implications
7.2 Psychosocial Impacts
8 Conclusion
References
CANADA: Examining the Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the City of London and Middlesex County Using a Systems Approach—What Lessons Can We Learn?
1 Introduction
2 Social Determinants of Health
3 Middlesex County and the City of London
4 Discussion and Conclusions
References
CHINA: Urban Factors Influencing COVID-19 Incidence Under Central-Local Interaction
1 Powerful Unified Deployment of the Central Government
1.1 Coordination Between Central and Local Governments
1.2 Government Credibility and Social Cohesion
2 Adaptive Specific Measures of Local Governments
2.1 Strict Control of Infection Sources
2.2 Expertise-Dominated Leadership
2.3 Utilisation of Technological Force
2.4 Mobilisation of Grassroots Power
3 Conclusion
References
CUBA: COVID-19 in Havana, Cuba 2020
1 Introduction
2 Timeline of COVID-19 Response
2.1 How Were Citizens Informed?
2.2 How Was the Problem Framed?
2.3 Balance of Encouragement and Trust vs Penalties
2.4 Who Took Charge?
2.5 Did Lockdown Occur and When? Who Monitored It and How?
3 Timeline of Effects
3.1 Number of Cases
3.2 Number of Deaths
3.3 Demographic Groups Particularly Affected
3.4 Super-Spreading Events or Settings
4 Consequences
4.1 Political Consequences
4.2 Role of Media
4.3 Social Consequences
5 Unintended Consequences of Lockdowns
5.1 Domestic Violence
5.2 Mental Health
5.3 Impact on Other Infectious Diseases
5.4 Delays in Other Medical Treatments
5.5 Decrease in Injuries Caused by Traffic Accidents
5.6 Economic Consequences
5.7 Unemployment
6 Conclusion
6.1 Impact of Taking a Systems Approach
References
Europe Social and Industrial Clusters to Support European Cities Under COVID-19: The Impact of the European Alliance on Coronavirus Actions
1 Introduction
2 Social and Industrial Clusters to Support Cities and Regions Facing COVID-19
3 Achievements of the European Alliance Against Coronavirus (EAAC)
4 Role and Initiatives of the European Cluster Alliance
4.1 Fast and Coordinated Reaction
5 Spurring Solutions
6 Going Beyond the EAAC Industrial Initiative: A Social Reactor
7 Clusters are Key Players for Sustainable Transformation
8 Data Sharing
9 Testbeds, an Evidence-Based Approach
9.1 Employment
9.2 Workers’ Health
9.3 Mental Health
9.4 Frontline Healthcare Workers (HCW)
9.5 Vulnerable Families
9.6 Pandemic Grief
9.7 Societal Impact on Education and Social Isolation
9.8 Mental Health Impact Influencers
9.9 A Cross-Border and Cross-Sectoral Participatory Approach
9.10 An Evolutionary Approach of Urban Health
10 Conclusion
References
FINLAND: How Bright Are the Northern Lights—Finnish Welfare State and Local Responses to COVID-19
1 Introduction
2 Inclusive Cities Within the Welfare State
3 Roles and Responsibilities Between Cities and the State
4 Health and Wellbeing Under COVID-19
5 Sharing the Risk
6 Conclusions
References
Photos
GAZA STRIP: Non-State Actors and COVID-19—Hamas as a Case Study
1 Introduction
2 Gaza Strip: Conditions and Geography
3 COVID-19 as a New Crisis
4 COVID-19 in Gaza
5 Service Provision by Non-State Actors
6 Hamas, Its De-facto Government and the COVID Crisis
7 COVID-19 as a Political Tool
8 Leadership
9 Legitimacy
10 Conclusion
References
India Coping Strategies, Response and Sustainable Future to COVID-19 in the Capital of India, Delhi
1 Introduction
2 Introducing the City: Delhi
3 Timeline of COVID-19 Response in Diverse Geographical Environments
4 Time-Line Of COVID-19 Effects
5 Consequences and Unprecedented Tragedies
6 Unintended Environmental Quality Impacts of the Pandemic
7 COVID-19 and Civil Society’s Response, Welfare Schemes and Stories Of Inspiration
8 Welfare Schemes Undertaken by Delhi State Government
9 Vaccine-Related Information
10 Concluding Remarks
References
NEPAL: COVID-19 Response in Biratnagar
1 Introduction to the City
2 COVID-19 Response in Biratnagar
3 The City’s COVID-19 Initiatives That Align with the Systems Approach
4 System Challenges
5 Current state of COVID-19 in Biratnagar
6 Conclusion
References
NEW ZEALAND: Aotearoa New Zealand Cities Under Covid-19—A Systems Perspective
1 Introduction
2 COVID-19 Arrival and Government Response
3 Economic Support Measures
4 How Citizens Were Informed
5 How the COVID Problem was Framed and Measures Reinforced
6 COVID-19 and Ethnicity
7 Consequences
8 Impact on Other Infectious Diseases
9 Delays in Other Medical Treatments
10 Economic Consequences
10.1 Unemployment
10.2 Increasing Inequalities
11 Conclusion
References
NIGERIA: Coping with COVID-19 in Two Urban Communities in Ibadan, Nigeria
1 Introduction
2 Ibadan Metropolis
3 The Communities of Idikan and Sasa
4 Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
5 Coping with COVID-19 in the Urban Communities
6 Advocacy to Government and Response
7 Resilience in the Communities
8 Conclusion
References
SRI LANKA: A Case Study of Colombo
1 Introduction
1.1 Brief History
1.2 Administrative Systems
1.3 Food Systems
2 Covid-19 in Sri Lanka
2.1 Social Consequences
2.2 Unintended Consequences of Response to the Pandemic
2.3 Economic Consequences
3 Response to the Epidemic
3.1 Vaccination
3.2 Informing the Public
3.3 Framing the Problem
4 City as an Evolving Geospatial System
5 Systems Approach to the Spread of COVID
5.1 Systems Approach to Control Measures
5.2 Systems and Human Mobilities
5.3 Health Systems and Vaccination
5.4 System Consequences
6 Conclusion
References
UNITED KINGDOM: A Case Study of Lancaster
1 Background
2 Timeline of COVID-19 Response
3 Timeline of Effects
4 Consequences
4.1 Urban Form
4.2 Policymaking
4.3 Digital Technology
4.4 Social Consequences
5 Conclusion
5.1 Impact of Taking a Systems Approach
5.2 Evidence of On-Going Policy Change
References
United States of America: New York City and COVID-19
1 Introduction
2 Demography
3 City Governance and Autonomy
4 The Pandemic’s Impact on Health Expenditure, Health Insurance Costs and Rates
5 Hospital Losses and Relief
6 Timeline of Covid-19 Effects
7 COVID-19 Cases and Death Count
8 Availability of Ventilators and Protective Equipment
9 Stay-At-Home Orders, Mask Wearing and Social Distancing
10 Evidence of Pandemic Ethnic Disparities and Their Causes
11 Broader Consequences for Housing, Transport and Public Space
11.1 Consequences for Housing
11.2 Consequences for Transportation and Public Space
11.3 Long-Term Policies for Public Space Activities: Open Streets and Open Restaurants
12 Conclusions
References
Conclusion
1 A Complex Systems Perspective
2 Key Risk Factors and Broader Consequences
3 Cumulative Burdens
4 Multi-level Governance
5 Conclusion
References
Index