Multi-species coexistence, COVID-19 & urban design

• Main Authors: Johanna Schacht, Philine von Zimmermann
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Urban Transcripts 2020-12-01
• Series: Urban Transcripts
• Subjects: biodiversity; urbanisation; urban nature; zoonosis; urban challenges; wildlife; resilience; innovation; climate change; anthropocene; berlin; germany; covid-19; corona
• Online Access: http://journal.urbantranscripts.org/article/multi-species-coexistence-covid-19-urban-design-johanna-schacht-and-philine-von-zimmermann/

Multi-species coexistence, COVID-19 & urban design – Johanna Schacht and Philine von Zimmermann, TU Berlin It remains unknown what species caused the spread of COVID-19, and where exactly it was transmitted from non-humans to humans in Wuhan, China, which is believed to be the epicentre of the outbreak. Speculations range from bats and pangolins as transmitters at wet markets, to a virus created and born in a laboratory. Discussions shifted when the public realized that a pandemic of global magnitude has always been on the doorstep of our modern society and that scientists and experts have been predicting such an outbreak for decades. The question was never where or how, but when?! Months into this crisis, following nationwide as well as local lockdowns and subsequent implications, which the current society will have to face for years to come, the awareness of mankind’s frailty has risen significantly. At the same time, the forced slowdown and restrained social opportunities as well as restricted travel prospects offered people a platform to stop their routine and (re-)connect with their immediate surroundings, including nature (or the lack thereof). The perception that humans are set apart from nature has been a dominating belief, particularly in Western culture, for a long period of time. However, the greater picture of the COVID-19 crisis, has reinforced that human health is deeply connected to planetary health. This poses the question whether society will take a turn and utilise the opportunities that have established themselves, or if they will return to the same behaviour as prior to the pandemic. To seize this opportunity and make fundamental changes, a review of how we coexist with other species needs to be undertaken. What are the roles of urban planners in this scenario and what urban design practices can pro-actively push a revolution of multi-species coexistence?