DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/ijpd.6.1.1-10

Perceptions on Critical Urban Issues in the COVID-19 Pandemic Crises

*Muritala Olaniyi Oke orcid  -  Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation Studies, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Nigeria
Ibrahim Dinju Choji  -  Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation Studies, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Nigeria
Oluseyi Oshinfowokan  -  Department of Political, Social and Economic Studies, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Nigeria
Received: 28 May 2020; Published: 28 Feb 2021.
Editor(s): Rukuh Setiadi, Ph.D
Open Access Copyright (c) 2021 The Indonesian Journal of Planning and Development under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0.

Citation Format:
Abstract

COVID-19 Pandemic crises have further challenged the achievement of sustainable urban or cities development as they are now a potential threat for quick transmission of disease between humans and other urban areas due to their connectivity via rail, flights, or roads. The absence of sustainability features of smart cities such as well numbered buildings, street naming for effective contact tracing, and tracing index contact of infected persons prevents effective infection management. The COVID-19 disease has therefore brought out the need to address the emerging urban challenges been faced, drawing from the perception of the urban dwellers, especially on what and how to achieve efficient management of pandemic in the urban areas, building urban resilience, and achieving sustainable development goal (SDG) 11 target of safe, inclusive and sustainable cities. Thus, this paper aims to interrogate the urban dwellers' perception in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Lagos, Nigeria, on emerging urban issues brought out by the COVID – 19 pandemic management and how they could be managed in the future. The study utilizes a questionnaire developed in the google form and distributed using email and WhatsApp platforms to three hundred respondents, One hundred and fifty respondents in each city, picked by their expertise and official responsibility in the urban-related field. The results reveal that key urban planning issues such as weak health systems, crowd management, adherence to government orders on handwashing and sanitation, social distancing, and socio-cultural issues need to be given utmost attention. Recommendations were made in line with effecting an integrated planning policy, citizen reorientation, and the need to re-plan these cities, amongst others.

Fulltext View|Download
Keywords: perceptions, critical, urban issues, COVID-19, pandemic, crises, integrated planning, policy

Article Metrics:

Article Info
Section: Articles
Language : EN
Recent articles
A Comparative Analysis of Planning Policies between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia during COVID-19 Pandemic Perceptions on Critical Urban Issues in the COVID-19 Pandemic Crises Implementation of Sustainable Slum Handling Program (Empirical Study of the KOTAKU Program) The Dynamics of Educational Services in the Decentralization Era in Lampung Timur Regency More recent articles
  1. Alcock, I., White, M. P., Wheeler, B. W., Fleming, L. E., & Depledge, M. H. (2014). Longitudinal effects on mental health of moving to greener and less green urban areas. Environmental Science & Technology, 48(2), 1247–1255. doi: 10.1021/es403688w
  2. Angel, R., & Thoits, P. (1987). The impact of culture on the cognitive structure of illness. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 11(4), 465–494. doi: 10.1007/BF00048494
  3. Bell, D. M., Weisfuse, I. B., Hernandez-Avila, M., Del Rio, C., Bustamante, X., & Rodier, G. (2009). Pandemic influenza as 21st century urban public health crisis. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 15(12), 1963–1969. doi: 10.3201/eid1512.091232
  4. Bogoch, I. I., Watts, A., Thomas-Bachli, A., Huber, C., Kraemer, M. U. G., & Khan, K. (2020). Potential for global spread of a novel coronavirus from China. Journal of Travel Medicine, 27(2). doi: 10.1093/jtm/taaa011
  5. Bond, C., & Brough, M. (2007). The meaning of culture within public health practice - implications for the study of aboriginal and torres strait islander health. In F. Baum, M. Bentley, & I. Anderson (Eds.), Beyond bandaids: Exploring the underlying social determinants of aboriginal health. (pp. 229–238). Australia: Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health. Retrieved from https://eprints.qut.edu.au/13118/
  6. Butala, N. M., VanRooyen, M. J., & Patel, R. B. (2010). Improved health outcomes in urban slums through infrastructure upgrading. Social Science & Medicine, 71(5), 935–940. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.05.037
  7. Du, J., King, R., & Chanchani, R. (2020). Tackling inequality in cities is essential for fighting Covid-19. Retrieved from World Resources Institute website: https://www.wri.org/insights/tackling-inequality-cities-essential-fighting-covid-19
  8. Fairhead, J. (2016). Understanding social resistance to the ebola response in the Forest Region of the Republic of Guinea: An anthropological perspective. African Studies Review, 59(3), 7–31. doi: 10.1017/asr.2016.87
  9. Forsyth, A. (2020). What role do planning and design play in a pandemic? Ann Forsyth reflects on COVID-19's impact on the future of urban life. Retrieved from Harvard University Graduate School of Design website: https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/2020/03/what-role-do-planning-and-design-play-in-a-pandemic-ann-forsyth-reflects-on-covid-19s-impact-on-the-future-of-urban-life/
  10. Grant, J. L. (2020). What cities can learn from lockdown about planning for life after the coronavirus pandemic. Retrieved from The Conversation website: https://theconversation.com/what-cities-can-learn-from-lockdown-about-planning-for-life-after-the-coronavirus-pandemic-136699
  11. Hartig, T., Mitchell, R., de Vries, S., & Frumkin, H. (2014). Nature and health. Annual Review of Public Health, 35(1), 207–228. doi: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-032013-182443
  12. Herlihy, D. (1997). The black death and the transformation of the west (S. K. Cohn, ed.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. doi: 10.2307/j.ctvjghwgp
  13. Hewlett, B. S., & Amola, R. P. (2003). Cultural contexts of ebola in Northern Uganda. Emerging Infectious Disease Journal, 9(10), 1242 – 1248. doi: 10.3201/eid0910.020493
  14. Jenkins, C. (2004). HIV/AIDS and culture: Implications for policy. In V. Rao & M. Walton (Eds.), Culture and public action (pp. 260–280). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press
  15. Johnson, N. P. A. S., & Mueller, J. (2002). Updating the accounts: Global mortality of the 1918-1920 "Spanish" influenza pandemic. Bulletin of the History of Medicine, 76(1), 105–115. doi: 10.1353/bhm.2002.0022
  16. King, R., Orloff, M., Virsilas, T., & Pande, T. (2017). Confronting the urban housing crisis in the global south: Adequate, secure, and affordable housing. Retrieved from World Resources Institute website: https://www.wri.org/wri-citiesforall/publication/confronting-urban-housing-crisis
  17. Kreuter, M. W., & McClure, S. M. (2004). The role of culture in health communication. Annual Review of Public Health, 25(1), 439–455. doi: 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.25.101802.123000
  18. Leclerc-Madlala, S., Simbayi, L., & Cloete, A. (2009). The socio-cultural aspects of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. In P. Rohleder, S. C. Kalichman, L. C. Simbayi, & L. Swartz (Eds.), HIV/AIDS in South Africa 25 years on: Psychosocial perspectives (pp. 13–25). New York, NY: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4419-0306-8_2
  19. Lee, V. J., Aguilera, X., Heymann, D., Wilder-Smith, A., Lee, V. J., Aguilera, X., … Yeo, W. Q. (2020). Preparedness for emerging epidemic threats: a Lancet infectious diseases commission. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 20(1), 17–19. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30674-7
  20. Lenters, L. M., Das, J. K., & Bhutta, Z. A. (2013). Systematic review of strategies to increase use of oral rehydration solution at the household level. BMC Public Health, 13(3), 1–8. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-S3-S28
  21. Li, Q., Guan, X., Wu, P., Wang, X., Zhou, L., Tong, Y., … Feng, Z. (2020). Early transmission dynamics in Wuhan, China, of novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia. New England Journal of Medicine, 382(13), 1199–1207. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2001316
  22. Lõhmus, M., & Balbus, J. (2015). Making green infrastructure healthier infrastructure. Infection Ecology & Epidemiology, 5(1), 30082. doi: 10.3402/iee.v5.30082
  23. Sloan, A. W. (1973). Medical and social aspects of the great plague of London in 1665. South African Medical Journal, 47(7), 270–276
  24. UNPF. (2016). Urbanization. Retrieved from United Nations Population Fund website: https://www.unfpa.org/urbanization
  25. van den Berg, M., van Poppel, M., van Kamp, I., Andrusaityte, S., Balseviciene, B., Cirach, M., … Maas, J. (2016). Visiting green space is associated with mental health and vitality: A cross-sectional study in four european cities. Health & Place, 38, 8–15. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.01.003
  26. van den Berg, R. (2020). How will COVID-19 affect urban planning? Retrieved from The City FIx & World Resources Institute website: https://thecityfix.com/blog/will-covid-19-affect-urban-planning-rogier-van-den-berg/
  27. Wardekker, J. A., de Jong, A., Knoop, J. M., & van der Sluijs, J. P. (2010). Operationalising a resilience approach to adapting an urban delta to uncertain climate changes. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 77(6), 987–998. doi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2009.11.005
  28. Weekes, S. (2020). Pandemic to reshape city resilience and technological investment, says report. Retrieved from Smart Cities World website: https://www.smartcitiesworld.net/news/news/pandemic-to-reshape-city-resilience-and-technological-investment-says-report-5144
  29. Wheeler, S. M. (1998). Planning sustainable and livable cities. In The city reader (pp. 435–445). London: Routledge
  30. WHO. (2017). Urban green space interventions and health: A review of impacts and effectiveness. Copenhagen
  31. WHO. (2019). Drinking-water. Retrieved from World Health Organization website: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water
  32. WHO. (2020). Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) - Situation report 28. Geneva
  33. Yuen, K.S., Ye, Z.W., Fung, S.Y., Chan, C.P. and Jin, D. Y. (2020) SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: The most important research questions. Cell Bioscience, 10(40): 1-5. doi: 10.1186/s13578-020-00404-4

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update:

No citation recorded.