THE POST COVID19 CITY 2021

How do we design post-COVID-19 cities that enrich nature?

Cities are the fastest growing human settlements on the planet. Cities occupy only 1% of the earth’s land mass, but by 2050 will host more than 68% of the world’s population. Cities are growing upwards and outwards to accommodate this rapid urbanization. Due to this expansion, cities will continue to encroach on many of the earth’s most important natural resources such as rich biodiverse areas and land critical for agricultural use (Nature in the Urban Century). This expansion will have profound impacts on global ecosystems. In 2020, we all witnessed the natural world collide with human life with the spread of the COVID-19 virus that upended life as we knew it. Right now, cities are the site where efforts to curb the spread of the virus are the most critical.

What will our cities look like Post-COVID-19? The answer is, they’ll be exactly as we design them. Now is the time to start thinking about that design.

THE POST-COVID-19 CITY colab is a multidisciplinary call to action that challenges urbanists, innovators, entrepreneurs, artists, researchers, scientists, and various other types of urban practitioners and planners from around the world to reset our thinking on how sustainable, resilient, liveable and just cities can be built for urban futures that nurture human-nature relationships. Envisioned submissions are encouraged from diverse transdisciplinary perspectives, including but not limited to: natural sciences, technology and engineering, social sciences, communications and media, fine arts and film, urban planning and design, urban practitioners, and other sectors. Submission ideas and suggestions may include but are not limited to: nature-based solutions, biotechnology, biomimicry, collaboration and planning process innovations, methodologies, models, software and mobile application solutions, data collection and knowledge gathering innovations, illustrative art and design works, architectural ideas and modelling, mapping and GIS solutions, community and urban citizen engagement ideas for participation, etc. that can help us nurture our relationship with cities in nature.

Pitch an innovation at any scale that improves people-nature connections in cities, specifically with nature, biodiversity, and ecosystem services, such as, food, water, and energy.

Your pitch should answer the following questions in the section "Description":

Where is the location ? (city, country)
Why is your proposal important?
Explain how the innovation would work?
What would be the impact?

Experts

Andy Van Den Dobbelsteen

Fellows

25 Contributions

RETHINK. RESTART. RECOVER. RESILIENT - Post-COVID19 in Amsterdam / Eva Hoppmanns

We propose a user driven and community-oriented platform to tackle the spatial injustices highlighted by the COVID19 lockdowns in Amsterdam.

NurtureBK: A Weekly Mutual Aid Gathering in Brooklyn / Anneliese Zausner-mannes

NurtureBK is a self-organized, emergent, & collective effort to make NYC more resilient & environmentally sustainable during COVID & beyond.

Renaturing marginal public spaces for people and ecosystems / Davide Geneletti

Unveiling the potential of small vacant lots to become efficient Nature-based Solutions for citizens’ wellbeing and nature conservation

Being and belonging: The portable urban classroom / Thomas Beery

The portable classroom is an innovation to support positive outdoor education and play opportunities for urban children/youth.

Hackathon challenges: innovative solutions for Green Care initiatives / Georgia Bertagna

Supporting actively the start-up of initiatives in Green Care sector, promoting health and social inclusion in a sustainable way

Engaging citizens to recycle while strengthening environmental leaders / Marina Giannini

Implementation of recycling in a coastal city using technological innovations, with the collaboration of environmental leaders.

Rewild the Streets / Sian Moxon

Vision drawings to inspire rewilding of urban spaces: disused commercial plots, public squares, streets, green belts and transport routes.

The Eco-taskers concept: connecting people and incentivising change / Charlotte Britton

Addressing people's motivation to participate in mass environmental action while reinvigorating local businesses and building community.

Bio-circular fashion commerce / Marije De Roos

An ecommerce platform that empowers fashion consumers to compost their owned products at their End of Use to then become a soil nutrient.

Punarjanam (Rebirth in Hindi), giving waste packaging a second life. / Yohaan Kukreja

A circular and sustainable solution to cater to the exces cardboard and plastic packaging waste produced by the work from home lifestyle

Talking streets of India / Janani Sridharan and 1 other

Initiating conversation with the street through signages that lets pedestrians engage and be aware of the environment around the street.

VideowindoW glare control becomes Biophilic media platform. / Remco Veenbrink

Our dynamic glare control doubles as media platform. We improve experience, reduce CO2 and create a symbiosis of technology, art and nature.

Nature-Centered Cities: A case-based framework for city development. / Rodrigo Flores

We cannot avoid the expansion of cities, but we can design the way cities impact nature.

Invigorating moving landscapes with the aim of increasing skills & reducing pain / Faezeh Minaee

We enter plants to home environment with the aim of injecting hope and reducing depression.

Urban self-governing bodies: Transportation, Water, Food, Energy and Environment / Prith David

An excursion of a citizen-run urban scenario, for a cooperative addressal of citizen needs, sharing skills and products, via peer exchange.

Community urban transportation with e-bikes, co-owned and co-operated by users. / Prith David

Citizens and small businesses share e-bikes & cargo e-bikes, sharing costs and responsibilities, using a distributed public charging system.

The Privacy Clinic: Protecting Your Information Rights to the City / Anna Artyushina and 1 other

The Privacy Clinic is a platform that helps individuals protect their data & privacy rights in the context of rapidly evolving legislation.

Clutch Program: Promoting hyperlocal production and consumption loops / Aditi Khodke

An auxiliary service network to back-up the livability of neighborhoods by shifting gear to local resources when an emergency requires it.

Open Streets Planning in Wilmington, Delaware to Increase Nature Awareness / Anna Wik

Using labeling, interpretation, and engaged activities for children & adults, we will intertwine nature awareness into open streets events.

Self Funded Insured Insurance for Indigenous Communities as an Urban Design / Winston Grace

Self Funded Insured Insurance for indigenous communities, allowing the rural communities to have less need for urban medical services.

Wash your hands and water the plants. / Rebecca Kohn

Public handwashing station in downtown area that sends the gray water to a plant demonstration garden.

Helping Communities Know Themselves / Fred Bartels

Our cities are life forms, but they have smaller brains than they need. To help our cities thrive we need to help them know themselves.

Biotag / Sanjith Yeruva

A mobile application that would help communities to learn, grow and geo tag endangered plants for enrichment of biodiversity in urban areas

THE POST COVID19 CITY / Qsedgiuas Asdhia

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Designing sustainable cities that feel human(e). / Kalen Harris

Cities of the future must be sustainable. That means we must leverage natural features & systems to create places where humanity can thrive.