Giving Compass' Take:

• Coronavirus is becoming a catalyst for change in urban planning as more cities think about food distribution, supply chains, and how to leverage technology using artificial intelligence to help address needs during a pandemic. 

• How can donors play a role in helping with the transition of these changes? 

• Read more about urban planning during pandemics.

The coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the planet will force city authorities and planners to more seriously consider factors such as population density, technology, food security and inadequate housing, urban experts said.

As of Wednesday morning the outbreak, termed Covid-19, had infected about 200,000 people worldwide and killed roughly 8,000, according to a global tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.

In response, countries have tightened border controls, imposed travel bans, locked down cities and stepped up surveillance using technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

“It is likely that Covid-19 will prompt a rethink of urban design and planning in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Tony Matthews, a senior lecturer in urban and environmental planning at Australia’s Griffith University.

“There will probably be consideration of desirable population density levels, a greater utilisation of apps and smart data to track health trends, and many cities will probably start to think about their food security more closely,” he said.

Countries including China, South Korea and Singapore are using robots, drones and big data to track the outbreak, disinfect hospitals and deliver supplies.

Authorities are also likely to more closely monitor vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever that are shifting due to climate change, and impose limits on the types and numbers of live animals in traditional markets, he said.

This would not be the first time that an epidemic has led to changes in city planning, research shows.

Read the full article about how pandemics lead to changes in city planning from Thomas Reuters Foundation at Eco-Business.