Although the Covid pandemic has sapped life from urban cores, city planners say they won’t change their approach to planning for these vital centers, according to researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada. City living has been radically changed by the pandemic, but planners surveyed by the university expect a return to the “old normal.”
“Despite calls for greater creativity and innovation, there is essentially no difference between what planners viewed as more important to downtowns pre-and-post the pandemic,” said Pierre Filion, an emeritus professor in the School of Planning at Waterloo. “There will not be any radical transformation of post-pandemic downtowns from the pre-pandemic downtowns of the early 21st century that would change the basic forms and functions.”
Pre-pandemic trends, including increased use of outdoor and green spaces, more mixed-use development—particularly in residential areas—and transportation models friendly to walking and biking, will continue, the survey found. Many proposed recovery policies require government intervention, especially in public-private partnerships and collaborations where no single organizational structure is appropriate, researchers say.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Mar 2, 2016
WELL standard offers multiple benefits for owners, says real estate executive
Could be a recruiting tool for occupant companies.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 1, 2016
China bans ‘weird’ public architecture, gated communities
Directs designers of public buildings to focus on functionality.
Energy Efficiency | Feb 23, 2016
Economists, energy efficiency practitioners need to work together for better cost/benefit studies
Flawed energy efficiency research yields misleading, confusing results.
Codes and Standards | Feb 16, 2016
New York City implements new crane safety plan following deadly accident
The plan includes restrictions on crawler cranes during windy conditions.
Resiliency | Feb 16, 2016
Obama establishes federal earthquake risk management standard
The standard requires federal agencies to use earthquake-resistant design provisions in current building codes.
Codes and Standards | Feb 12, 2016
ISO releases national assessment and state-by-state building codes evaluation
Report covers 87% of U.S. population.
Codes and Standards | Feb 12, 2016
Huge fraud case involving alleged engineering impostors uncovered in California
Hundreds of buildings may have to be demolished.
Codes and Standards | Feb 11, 2016
New York governor makes emergency design-build authorization
The declaration was issued in response to Winter Storm Jonas which dumped over 18 inches of snow in parts of the state.
Green | Jan 29, 2016
USGBC names top 10 states for LEED green building
Illinois leads the list for the third straight year.
Codes and Standards | Jan 25, 2016
Dept. of Energy releases decision guides for plug and process loads
Plug and process loads consume about 30% of the primary energy in U.S. commercial buildings today.