Large, dense, globally connected cities were hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic the world over.
The long-term ramifications of this remain to be seen, but Richard Florida and Joel Kotkin produce an initial accounting of the impacts on America’s cities in this article for City Journal, titled America’s Post-Pandemic Geography. And while these so-called “superstar cities” have been clearly impacted, they won’t be left completely behind as life returns to a new normal.
“Cities are more resilient than in the past. The swift distribution of vaccines makes urban comebacks more likely, and far more rapid, than those of ancient cities rising after eruptions of the plague. London recovered from cholera, and New York added 2 million people in the wake of the Spanish flu. Berlin survived Hitler, World War II, and a half-century of partition. New York roared back after 9/11.”
But, as the writers point out, the pandemic has exacerbated trends of declining urban growth, high living costs, and class and racial divisions already in place prior to the outbreak.
While Canada has been largely spared the racial divisions present in America, our urban housing affordability crisis is perhaps even more acute. Toronto and Vancouver are now two of the most expensive places to live in the entire world.
More than anything, the current crisis has forced us all to adapt, and taking advantage of this era of change is crucial for the continued prosperity of cities, the authors conclude. Strategies uniquely applicable to each local situation are required.
“The approaches should include innovation, economic development, addressing persistent poverty, stimulating recovery in the hard-hit arts and cultural sector, upgrading and improving education (especially in urban centres), and improving services like roads, policing, and basic health and sanitation.”
