It’s Time to Change the Housing Conversation
Safe, affordable housing is not an end in itself but should be interwoven with other interventions to improve access to related services and benefits. As the pandemic exacerbates shortcomings in housing programmes around the world, Vidhee Garg on the need to re-think housing and to look beyond its purely quantitative aspects.
Puerto Rico: Architecture and a “Culture of Emergencies”
Puerto Rican architect Astrid Díaz on the importance of resilient housing, education, and participation in a country prone to cyclones and earthquakes.
Jakarta’s Pandemic Water Stress: Hitting the Economy and the Urban Poor
The Covid-19 pandemic increases the already existing water scarcity in Indonesia's capital, affecting already disadvantaged inhabitants most of all, writes Akash Sahu.
Sustainable Africa: Why Cities of the Future Must Consider Health in Urban Planning
In a rapidly urbanising world, cities must consider the health impacts of urban policies and projects. Meelan Thondoo and Mark Nieuwenhuijsen highlight the situation in Mauritius’ capital Port Louis and make a strong case for participatory quantitative Health Impact Assessments, a promising and practical tool to ensure healthy, equity-driven and sustainable cities.
Mapping Makoko: A Community Stating its Right to Exist
Makoko, one of Lagos' largest slums, used to be a blank spot on the map for most of its history. This has been changing with a community-based digital mapping project that enables the residents to articulate their rights.
An Epidemic Might Cure Venice
Researchers from MIT Civic Data Design Lab investigate Venice's tourism dynamics by employing spatial data on urban form and tourist facilities. Their goal is to envision what Venice's post-pandemic urban life could look like.
I (don’t) want to live here! Exploring perceptions of liveability in Bangladesh
What makes people prefer one place over another? Liveability is a popular topic, but smaller cities are still left unexplored. Istiakh Ahmed from the International Centre for Climate Change and Development wonders what residents in coastal Bangladesh consider a liveable, even loveable city.
Building Resilience from the Ground Up: Indonesia’s Coastal Cities
As one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and sea level rise, Indonesia’s archipelago may be a wellspring of solutions for the future of coastal cities in the region. It has to start from the ground up argues Barry Beagen, Programme Director at Kota Kita Foundation.
What it’s Like to be a Woman during COVID-19 – The Indian Experience
What happens when you combine a country’s taboo on female menstrual health with the impact of a global pandemic? Dr Saswati Chaudhuri highlights the situation of the urban poor in India and paints a rather alarming picture of how the most common needs of Indian women are (not) met.