Planning Post-Disease Outbreak
Friends of Multiple Cities,
We hope you are reading this in good health, with close friends and family indoors. From New York and San Francisco to London, Shanghai, Sydney, and beyond, we are all facing the harsh realities of the same virus albeit in different magnitudes. The pandemic is threatening healthcare systems, economies, and most importantly, the lives of many.
As we continue to monitor and assess the effects of the pandemic globally, we wanted to quickly share key resources that might help you manage changes in your daily lives and businesses. Firstly, if you have not already visited Bloomberg Philanthropies’ and National League of Cities’ combined tracker of actions taken by local leaders, please hurry over. The resource includes a comprehensive list of policies across several key areas (Economic, Housing, Utilities, Mobility and Transit, Communication, Public Health, Food/ Nutrition, Public Safety, Education and Childcare, etc.) that are being enacted across the US. If you don’t yet see a policy from your local area, we encourage you to submit a response to the tracker here.
In addition to healthcare workers who are fighting to save lives, our hearts especially go out to local, small businesses that are struggling to stay afloat and to the artists and creative professionals who make a living through the coming together of communities. While many are quickly adapting to the changing circumstances by moving online and selling products and services there and offering deliveries, or even offering gift certificates for future purchases, there are others experiencing debilitating conditions that may result in the eventual closure of all operations.
National governments are responding, however slowly. In the US, the Small Business Administration is working with state Governors to provide Disaster Assistance Loans for Small Businesses to provide targeted, low interest (3.75% for businesses and 2.75% for non-profit organizations) recovery loans of up to $2 million each to cover working capital costs (including fixed debts, payroll, and other bills). And already, the Wall Street Journal reports that the application website has been unclear or crashed for many potential recipients. In the UK, the Chancellor has set out a package of targeted measures to support public services, people and businesses, and gone beyond just loans to include grants for small businesses of up to £10,000 for all business “in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief” and grants of up to £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses that own property. Finally, in Singapore the government is drawing on its reserves to deliver a Resilience Budget that will include, among other measures, an automatic three-month deferment of income tax payments for companies and self-employed persons and the cancellation of property tax for the year 2020 for commercial properties badly affected by COVID-19, such as hotels, tourist attractions, shops and restaurants.
As the circumstances change over the next few weeks and months, we urge you to continually check in with your locality’s Economic Development assistance pages for more information on available assistance programs and to share with us incredibly unique, out-of-the-box thinking by your local leaders.
While we know that the end may still seem far away for many of us, when the outbreak subsides, we do need to be prepared to pick up the pieces and re-build our cities together. Afterall, any slowdown in the largest markets - Chinese or American - sends not ripples but waves across the globe. The increased interconnectedness of our economy today means that any volatility will spread globally, including significant disruptions to the global supply chain and overall halted demand and spending. Ultimately, no one country or city is immune and the truth is this outbreak will have a disparate impact on rich and poor, and developed and developing nations. We must find ways to work together to recover sustainably.
Already our cities are understanding the severity of the digital/technology divides in communication, education, and business operations. School systems around the world faced the challenge of educating millions of young children from afar through apps and televisions. Mom-and-pop businesses had to learn to move sales and marketing online through websites and social media channels or risk falling behind on cash flow. Neighbors have had to find new ways to connect with each other and build greater social capital through apps like NextDoor and Slack to ensure the needs of vulnerable populations are being taken care of.
Pay attention to the most vulnerable. The coronavirus has revealed that many of us have the privilege of telecommuting and having a home from which to telecommute. But there is still a broad range of populations who remain vulnerable when they do not have access to these privileges. From the elderly who are unable to use technology and live in isolation, to the parents who aren’t able to take care of a young child while working, to the homeless living in close quarters and without walls to hide behind--they become most vulnerable to the next disaster or emergency. How do we educate, engage, and create policies to bring these populations out of being most at-risk?
Cities are also recognizing the need for diversification and flexibility in public space and industries. Across the world, streets are being dedicated to pedestrian traffic only to accommodate the swathes of people who are now desperate for public space and short walks outdoors amidst mandatory lockdowns. Garment manufacturers have banded together and quickly shifted gears to design/produce personal protective equipment to close the gap in demand by hospitals while alcohol distilling companies have done the same with producing sanitizing liquids/ gels.
Community resources need help convening. What is likely to happen in a neighborhood of a few grocery stores, a medical clinic, drug store, hardware store, and small restaurants? We’ve seen stores depleted, restaurants left without the capacity to meet demand or are forced to shut, hospitals are overrun, and clinics are left without supplies for essential workers; community resources are stretched thin. When these resources are able to work and communicate together, they build the capacity to better and efficiently support the community. How does our work look at these resources holistically rather than separating into silos?
Until we near the end of this chapter in our history, let’s continue to show support for frontline workers in healthcare & social services, transportation and logistics, warehousing, and especially local retail and hospitality. Our cities have changed before and will continue to change following this outbreak. Let’s ensure that we leverage this opportunity to learn from each other and advocate for change that will fix the gaps in our plans, systems, and processes.
Please reach out to Reanna and Nur at info@multiple-cities.com if you’d like to report on COVID responses in your country/city. Or even if you simply need a listening ear. Send us photos, videos, and audio from wherever you are and stay in touch via Facebook, Twitter (@multiple_cities), and Instagram (@multiple.cities).
Other reflections on the outbreak:
“Can City Life Survive Coronavirus?” Michael Kimmelman for the NYTimes
“Is Anyone Even Listening?” Chris Crowley for New York Magazine’s Grubstreet
“Dear Entrepreneur in a Pandemic” Michelle Kim, Vision Awaken Founder
“Pandemics Are Also an Urban Planning Problem” Ian Klaus for CityLab: touches upon
“Density Is Normally Good for Us. That Will Be True After Coronavirus, Too.” Emily Badger for the NYTimes
Human reflections on the outbreak
“I’m loving all the family time. Most everyone is working on projects we never have time for. Girls loving the regular time for exercise. Brought back family game nights because there’s time now. Cooking more. Hard to know what I read about the virus situation is true or fake news. I thought of helping out with making masks but then read that it’s not helpful. I also wanted to bake for people but then how to deliver? Mail? Drop off at doorsteps? Is that not following #stayhome?”
“Grateful for my job! Overwhelmed by news but trying to stay positive, and enjoying spending time w my partner <3”
“Concerned. Anxious. Uncertain. Unclear. I’m concerned about the extent of the virus, how it affects people’s lives and is killing people. I’m also concerned about the uncertainty of the future of the virus: when is there going to be a cure? Vaccine? When will people stop being affected? When will it last until? How will it affect the economy and job growth? I’m concerned about how it will change our lives. People are getting laid off, it’s spurred racism toward Asian communities and continues to divide. How does all that get reconciled?”
Header photo: No School Until April 6 by Laura Del
