Respiratory pandemics and urban planning
Citation: Harris P, Harris-Roxas B, Prior J, et al. Respiratory pandemics, urban planning and design: A multidisciplinary rapid review of the literature. Cities. 2022;127:103767.
Language: Abstract and full text available in EN.
Free to view: Yes.
Funding sources: Healthy Urban Environment Collaboratory, Australia.
What is this? In this multidisciplinary rapid review, the authors searched for literature on respiratory pandemics and urban planning or design. They restricted their searches to articles published in English since the time of Spanish influenza in 1918. The authors included 92 articles.
What was found: The authors found 10 themes related to respiratory pandemics and urban planning or design: (1) scale, (2) built environment, (3) governance, deliberation and ethics, (4) modelling, (5) non-pharmaceutical interventions, (6) socioeconomic factors, (7) system preparedness, (8) system response, (9) underserved or vulnerable populations, and (10) future-proofing urban planning and design.
Implications: The authors of the review concluded that understanding the connection between city planning and the spread of pandemics is crucial to prepare for future epidemics. They stated that further research is needed, particularly on the intersection of infrastructure and pandemics. The authors emphasised the importance of well-planned and designed infrastructure to curb the spread of disease. They stressed the importance of economic aspects of infrastructure in pandemic preparation and of responses that were unbiased politically. Technology will be an important aid to analyse infrastructure and pandemics.
Other considerations: The authors of the review discussed their findings in the context of place of residence, socioeconomic status, and education.
This summary was prepared by Yasmeen Saeed, checked by Cristián Mansilla and Jawaria Karim, and finalized by William Summerskill.