Lessons from Covid-19: Rethinking Urban Planning for Future Health Emergencies

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2019 has highlighted the huge role that urban planning and design play in preventing epidemics and making cities more resilient. Inappropriate urbanisation is frequently associated with low sector productivity, urban poverty, scarcity of employment opportunities, limited ability to develop urban agendas, as well as an ineptitude in disease containment and spread. This article delves deeply into the role of urban planning during public health crises, focusing on strategies for creating resilient cities that can withstand pandemics, using COVID-19 as a case study. Citing the facts from well-established published data in respectable databases, the article reports on the relationship between pandemic resistance and urban design, paying close attention to infrastructure, green spaces, and healthcare accessibility. Also, it zooms into the individual case of Uganda, discovering the challenges that the pandemic has caused within urban areas and giving solutions to the improved urban planning that could be able to mitigate future health emergencies. Through the integration of different perspectives from various disciplines, the article emphasizes that preventive planning strategies are the foundation for creating healthier and more resilient cities that can withstand and adapt to future pandemics.

Keywords: Urban Planning, Pandemics, COVID-19, infectious diseases, Public Health