Mainstreaming Pandemic in Urban Planning: An Overview
| Published date | 01 September 2021 |
| Date | 01 September 2021 |
| DOI | 10.1177/00195561211044255 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Mainstreaming
Pandemic in Urban
Planning: An Overview
Abha Agarwal1 and Kusum Lata2
Abstract
Cities, the main places where majority of the world population resides, are the
centres of economic growth and innovation. Globally, the urban areas are facing
public health emergency (Covid-19 pandemic), which has affected the economic
and social lives of people and all the activities have come to a standstill. The
issue of urban vulnerability has been brought up in context to pandemics and
communities need to be prepared for it. The article focuses on the measures
taken by the Indian government during the lockdown and about how successful
were these measures in controlling the spread of the virus infection. The lacunae
in the urban planning policies have been analysed with a focus on community
participation in the decision-making to combat disasters. Examples of successful
community participation in cities from India and abroad have been highlighted.
Finally, policy initiatives have been identified by which the future epidemics can
be handled in an organised manner, by making the urban planning process more
citizen centric.
Keywords
Pandemic, urban planning, community participation, URDPFI guidelines,
community-led Ebola action, local area plans
‘The world has survived different kinds of crises. People have seen world wars and the
economic depression, but the human spirit has endured and survived.’
—Swati Rustagi, Amazon India
Article
Indian Journal of Public
Administration
67(3) 413–424, 2021
© 2021 IIPA
Reprints and permissions:
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DOI: 10.1177/00195561211044255
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1 Town and Country Planning Organisation, New Delhi, India.
2 Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi, India.
Corresponding author:
Abha Agarwal, Associate Town and Country Planner, Town and Country Planning Organisation,
E-Block Vikas Bhawan, I.P. Estate, New Delhi 110002, India.
E-mail: abhaagarwal123@rediffmail.com
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