COVID-19 Challenge, Information Technologies, and Smart Cities: Considerations for Well-Being

How do density, employment and transit affect the prevalence of COVID-19 pandemic? A study of 3,141 counties across the United States

Previous research has explored the effect of the built environment on the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This study extends the existing literature by examining the relationship between pandemic prevalence and density, employment, and transit factors at the county level. Using multilinear spatial-lag regressions and time series clustering analyses on the Smart Location Database encompassing 3141 counties in the United States, our findings reveal the following: (1) Density, employment, and transit variables yield heterogeneous effects to infection rate, death rate, and mortality rate. (2) Pedestrian-oriented road density is positively correlated to the prevalence of COVID-19, every 0.011 miles/acre increase is associated with 1% increase in the infection rate. (3) A consistent negative correlation is observed between jobs per household and infection rate, while a decrease in unemployment rate leads to an increase in the death rate. (4) The results from time series analysis suggest that areas characterized by low auto-oriented intersection density but high pedestrian-oriented road density are more susceptible to the impacts of pandemics. This highlights the need to prioritize pandemic prevention efforts in the suburban and rural areas with low population density, as emphasized in existing literature emphasized.

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on spatial preferences and usage habits of users in shopping malls and its relation with circulation layout

The COVID-19 pandemic, with its global impact on every scale of life, has caused a change in all the habits of people regarding daily life, and this change has also been directly reflected in the human-space interaction. The bidirectional relationship between human and space has evolved by being influenced by each other during the pandemic process. Within the scope of this study, which aims to determine the predicted change in the spatial preferences and usage habits of the users in the shopping malls due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which causes changes in the space and the usage habits of the users from micro scale to macro scale, analyzes were made with the research methodology consisting of three stages (i. space syntax, ii. survey, iii. comparison) and the results were evaluated. According to the results obtained from the case study, it was determined that the COVID-19 pandemic deeply changed people's spatial perception, preferences and usage habits in shopping malls and circulation layout also plays a role on it. To summarize, while personal preferences were at the forefront in places to be preferred for shopping before the pandemic, the characteristics of the place gained importance after the pandemic.

A SWOT analysis of smart governance applications amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Smart governance technologies are emergent information and communication technologies (ICT), which amid the COVID-19 pandemic have been widely used to govern COVID’s impacts. However, very few studies have provided insight into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of smart governance technologies under COVID-19. This prevents the widespread usage of smart governance technologies across cities and countries and impedes their usefulness during emergencies. This study combines knowledge of emergency management theory and planning support systems (PSS) to frame the functional usefulness of smart governance technologies in handling practical tasks amid the COVID-19 state of emergency into a task-technology fit model. By employing qualitative content analysis to collect views and insights from the international news-based cases (n= 69), we identify SWOT of smart governance technologies under COVID-19. Results indicate that usefulness of smart governance technologies is reflected in task-handling in the ex-post emergency phases of response (e.g., provide e-health service, tracing and tracking) and recovery (e.g., improve e-government services, enhance collaboration for renewal), whereas few applications focus on tasks in the ex-ante emergency phases of mitigation (e.g., hazard analysis, vulnerability assessment) and preparedness (e.g., planning, training and exercises). Main findings lead to a conclusion that hidden capacities of smart governance technologies can be fully achieved if policy makers and practitioners can focus on the full range of tasks and demands before, amid, or after emergencies and identify collaborative opportunities for technological development.

Pandemic management, citizens and the Indian Smart cities: Reflections from the right to the smart city and the digital divide

The technologically endowed Smart Cities take credit for managing the COVID-19 pandemic more effectively than other urban centers. However, Indian smart cities seemed unprepared for the outbreak, with reported highest cases of death and positivity rates. Thus, it becomes essential to understand why these smart cities could not handle the pandemic despite their technologically advanced infrastructures and the citizen’s role in managing it. This paper analyzes the impact of the Smart City Mission (SCM) interventions from a citizen-centric perspective and its influence on pandemic management and citizen inclusivity. The study draws from the right to the smart city framework along with stages of the digital divide. The study conducted a content analysis using secondary sources like published and unpublished papers, policy reports, and news analyses spanning the timeline of 2015-2022. The analysis infers that the lack of initiatives to link marginalized citizens with Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) through the SCM policy led to the underutilization of the various initiatives launched during the pandemic, deepening the digital divide. The deduction from the analysis highlights that the ‘chatur citizens’ act as a solution by transitioning their formal access to ICTs into effective access enabling the marginalized communities to bridge the divide.

Pandemic resilient cities: Possibilities of repairing Polish towns and cities during COVID-19 pandemic

Cities, due to population density and the complexity of human interactions, experience specific problems arising from their functioning in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many scientists who publish their findings in contemporary literature agree on the need to shape pandemic resilient cities by making changes to the functional-spatial structure and preparing cities for rapid revitalization [regeneration] in the post-pandemic period. The main objective of the research is to identify the most important problems regarding service infrastructure deficiencies in the nine medium-sized Polish cities selected for research located in the Warsaw agglomeration, which are well connected with Warsaw. The research was based on: analysis of selected GIS spatial data, demographic data from the Polish Central Statistical Office, surveys among residents, on their needs during pandemic constraints. The focus was on three important aspects of development in the era of the pandemic: access to first-need services, access to greenery and active recreation areas, accessibility and transport efficiency problems. The research revealed changes in the way people travel and do their essential shopping, inadequate cycling infrastructure and problems with the availability of essential services close to where they live. The research programme varies, although the diagnosis and the possibility of transforming the functional-spatial structure of the cities studied as typical medium-sized cities in the impact zone of a large centre dominate. The conclusions provide examples of proposals for tactical urbanism planning solutions that could rapidly improve the quality of residence in a low-budget way. Finally, the proposals and guidelines for creating sustainable pandemic resilient cities are described. The article investigates the aspect of urban resilience related to transport, services, relaxation, while using the method of tactical urbanism as a remedy for cities' pandemic problems.

Innovation in Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Best Practices from Five Smart Cities in Indonesia

In relation to innovations which help to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, the best practices of several smart cities become an important input to organize and create strategies for future cities. This research aims to identify the responses of cities to the COVID-19 pandemic; analyze their innovation in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic; and create strategies and planning for the future of the cities. This study analyzes aspects such as the use of information and communication technology (ICT), smart city implementation, the biological disaster of the COVID-19 pandemic, the environment, and spatial plans. This research was carried out in five smart cities using a case study. The results indicated that each case had innovations for coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. They showed a uniqueness and local innovations adapted to the problems faced in the five case areas. The innovations were demonstrated by the use of ICT-based applications in several public services as part of smart city implementation. The concept of a smart city, which addresses the biological disaster of the COVID-19 pandemic through the existence of ship-based isolation centers and sociotechnical innovations, was then adapted in various cities throughout Indonesia. In terms of the smart environment concept, this is translated through technological and social innovation approaches to improve medical and domestic waste management, public service systems, and the socialization of environmental protection programs in cities during the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic is allegedly accelerating the implementation of the smart city concept in spatial planning. There is a tendency for the use of public space in the city center to shift to local-scale service centers. Additionally, other activities are increasingly occupying the digital space so that it affects the arrangement of spatial organization and increases the need for ICT infrastructure. The efficient and flexible use of applications for supporting the implementation of smart cities needs to be broadened for the public services provided by both the government and private sectors. Meanwhile, in relation to the dimensions of a smart environment, it is necessary to take into account the waste management as a result of COVID-19. The same case is the aspect of spatial planning in which it is necessary to redesign open spaces for public use. City planning in the future also needs to be capable of the smart mitigation of non-physical disasters, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Covid-19 sentiments in smart cities: The role of technology anxiety before and during the pandemic

The spread of Covid-19 profoundly changed citizens' daily lives due to the introduction of new modes of work and access to services based on smart technologies. Although the relevance of new technologies as strategic levers for crisis resolution has been widely debated before the pandemic, especially in the smart cities' context, how individuals have agreed to include the technological changes dictated by the pandemic in their daily interactions remains an open question. This paper aims at detecting citizens' sentiment toward technology before and after the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic using Fuzzy Formal Concept Analysis (FFCA) to analyze a large corpus of tweets. Specifically, citizens' attitudes in five cities (Berlin, Dublin, London, Milan, and Madrid) were explored to extract and classify the key topics related to the degree of confidence, familiarity and approval of new technologies. The results shed light on the complex technology acceptance process and help managers identify the potential negative effects of smart technologies. In this way, the study enhances scholars' and practitioners' understanding of the strategies for enabling the use of technology within smart cities to manage the transformations introduced by the health emergency and guide citizens’ behaviour.

The Use of ICT-Based Applications to Support the Implementation of Smart Cities during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in compulsion and encouragement of actions that have enabled changes to occur globally that have then been adapted to current conditions. For their highly dense populations, it is difficult to control the spread of the virus in cities. As a result, activities that draw large crowds together so that people can access public services are inevitable. Several cities that have been declared as smart cities in Indonesia have made a breakthrough by making use of information and communication technology (ICT)-based applications. This can be of great help for societies during pandemics. ICT has been able to help citizens perform various activities from home with the help of applications. This study aims to identify various applications that support the implementation of the concept of a smart city. This applies particularly to those applications that are based on ICT that can tackle the unique conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic and make recommendations regarding future developments. The data collected for this study were analyzed using secondary sources obtained from various clusters of literature, the internet, and social media. In addition, primary data was gathered from discussion forums. This paper employs a qualitative approach with qualitative descriptive data analysis techniques and hierarchical cluster analysis. Qualitative descriptive analysis was utilized to explore the conditions of smart cities, the regional conditions of the pandemic, and smart city applications more generally. The results show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, cities and regions, including the 100 smart cities in Indonesia, have developed many innovative solutions through ICT-based applications that can help people maintain an active social life and access public services. In the future, when everything is allegedly back to normal, cities need to implement the use of various ICT-based applications to increase efficiency in their planning and management. Therefore, it has become increasingly necessary to improve people’s digital literacy and to develop a type of ICT infrastructure that enables more people to access the internet.

Smart City and Crisis Management: Lessons for the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 shocked cities around the world and revealed the vulnerability of urban lives and functions. Most cities experienced a catastrophic disturbance that has lasted for a long time. Planning plays a critical role in responding efficiently to this crisis and enabling rapid functional recovery in the post-disaster era. Cities that have implemented digitalization initiatives and programs are likely to have more capacity to react appropriately. Specifically, digitalized cities could ensure the well-being of their residents and maintain continuity of urban functions. This research aims to analyze the role of technology in crisis management in the last two decades and provide appropriate policy recommendations for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Systematic literature review and subjective content analysis are employed to investigate the effects of technology on community well-being and making cities more resilient in past crises. This study shows that different technology-driven policies and actions enable crisis management, enhance community well-being, and increase urban resilience. Technology has enhanced coping and recovery capacities by increasing participation and social connectedness, enhancing physical and mental health and maintaining the functionality of education and economic systems. These have been achieved through various solutions and technologies such as social media, telehealth, tracking and monitoring systems, sensors and locational applications, teleworking systems, etc. These solutions and technologies have also been used during the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance community well-being and sustain urban functions. However, technology deployment might have adverse effects such as social exclusion, digital divide, privacy and confidentiality violation, political bias and misinformation dissemination, and inefficient remote working and education. It is suggested that to mitigate these side effects, policymakers should liberate the process of digitalization, increase the accessibility to digital services, and enhance digital literacy.

Covid-19 pandemic and public spaces: improving quality and flexibility for healthier places

The current Covid-19 pandemic has interested the whole word, changing habits and use of places and cities. In the lockdown period, cities and public spaces became completely empty and new urban landscapes substituted the previous ones, transforming the private in public. Children, young and elder people were those who mainly had problems: to them, real life was negated at the time of their life in which this is more important. In Italy, the second country after China which was interested by the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, the reopening of all the public spaces happened after 2 months of closure. This allowed again “in presence” social interactions, although in respect of the physical distance, confirming the importance of these places for all people. Starting from these premises, the aim of this paper is to present the results of a study carried in the framework of the Horizon 2020 research project Urban Maestro, New Governance Strategies for Urban Design, of the ISMed-National Research Council post Covid research, and of the INU Community Public Space, the last two initiatives coordinated by the author. The objective is to identify the relationships between theory and practice of the Charter of Public Space after 10 years of its creation, and verify its validity, in particular, in this Covid-19 emergency period. The Charter of Public Space was adopted during the second Biennial of Public Space held in Rome in 2013 and presented at the Quito Habitat 3 Conference in 2016. In those events many principles were used for the New Urban Agenda discussion concerning quality of public spaces. To achieve the goal of the research, an original method of analysis was created and about thirty case studies were collected, nine of which will be illustrated in this paper. The cases were selected because they follow many principles of the Charter and are then characterized by quality of design and flexibility of use. Accordingly, the update of some principles of the Charter was necessary to meet the new Covid-19 pandemic needs.

Could amantadine interfere with COVID-19 vaccines based on the LNP-mRNA platform?

INTRODUCTION

Amantadine is a well-known medication with indications in neurology and infectious diseases. It is currently FDA approved for Parkinson's disease, drug-induced extrapyramidal symptoms, and influenza.

METHODS

The article is the author's original research hypothesis.

RESULTS

Because more people are going to be vaccinated and additional similar vaccines are going to be introduced, we should take into consideration the potential of amantadine to interfere with LNP-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine delivery into the target cells.

CONCLUSIONS

A more cautious approach to the patients taking amantadine as far as vaccination utilizing LNP-mRNA platform should be considered.