Physical distancing, children and urban health

Abstract

In a time of unprecedented change and uncertainty due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, cities worldwide became the epicentre of the unfolding health drama. Questions related to the contemporary human condition, rate of urbanization and alternative socioeconomic frameworks that started to emerge over the course of the past decade, now seem to be more relevant than ever. Urban typologies such as public spaces are under pressure, as the measure of "social distancing" rapidly became a novel narrative. Within this narrative, children-while seemingly less affected medically-may actually be influenced more than expected, both physically and mentally, since their social and spatial developmental needs are different to those of adults. The Urban Health Community of Practice of ISOCARP offers a series of questions and critical reflections accompanied by a wide geographical, cultural and disciplinary array of examples from around the world regarding the spatial, social and physical effects of the current crisis on children and how this could provide valuable feedback on updating future urban planning policies. This is a first step towards a commonly expressed paradigm shift that embraces human and planetary health resilience, a new equilibrium for cities and natural systems and a new, more inclusive social model.

Designing pandemic resilient cities: Exploring the impacts of the built environment on infection risk perception and subjective well-being

“…Some of these studies focus on the impacts of the pandemic on different groups and demonstrate that these impacts are not distributed evenly ( Brough et al, 2020 , Hamidi et al, 2020 , Shamshiripour et al, 2020 ). These unbalanced effects are expected considering the socio-economic disparities between different groups and built environment variations across different neighborhoods ( Brough et al, 2020 , Dabelko-Schoeny et al, 2021 , Kyriazis et al, 2020 , Rollston and Galea, 2020 ). The upheaval created by the pandemic call for policies that can address the challenges created by this outbreak.…”

“…COVID-19 unveiled many transportation-related problems in our cities, such as lack of access to open and green spaces, insufficient transportation infrastructure, and lack of reliable transit services ( Ahmadpoor and Shahab, 2021 , Dailey et al, 2020 , ITDP, 2020 , Kyriazis et al, 2020 , Tirachini and Cats, 2020 ). As a result, researchers and media paid special attention to the mobility-related changes and disruptions created by COVID-19 ( Budd and Ison, 2020 , De la Graza, 2020 , Goldbaum, 2020 ).…”

Learning Through Games and Its Impact on the Development of Student’s Knowledge During the Pandemic Period

“…Therefore, we say that, when the game is well planned and oriented, we can influence in the incorporation of new concepts and students can develop and improve their skills without losing the motivation to learn (Mubaslat, 20120). The COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia and Kosovo affected the whole educational system, highlighting the lack of possibilities to use play as a teaching method (Kyriazis et al, 2021). Students were educated through an online form, which was a very unfamiliar form for teachers and s dents as well in North Macedonia and Kosovo.…”

Children's lives in an era of school closures: Exploring the implications of COVID‐19 for child labour in Ghana

“…Little policy attention has been paid to addressing the impact of the lockdown on children's education, health and well‐being—particularly children in poor and vulnerable households and communities. Nonetheless, Kyriazis et al ( 2020 ) rightly note that it is critical to specifically examine the impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic on children's education and health because children risk being the biggest victims of the pandemic's impact due to poverty, lack of education and social protection (United Nations, 2020 ). In this context, the paper helps to address this policy gap by providing empirical evidence that casts light on the silent effects of the pandemic on children's lives in Ghana.…”