Report

Better cities after COVID-19

Think tank: IIED

Author(s): Alice Sverdlik; Anna Walnycki

June 10, 2021

This report from UK think tank the IIED looks at transformative urban recovery in the global South.

COVID-19 has created a critical juncture in the evolution of cities, but there has been limited focus on its urban dimensions in the global South. Drawing on the experiences of grassroots organisations, international agencies and other key urban stakeholders, IIED has co-created a framework that provides a unifying urban vision to inform and resource a transformative urban recovery process. Now, holistic interventions will be vital to address the complex exclusions and risks facing low-income urban residents. Synthesising evidence on the pandemic’s impacts in urban areas, this issue paper outlines a set of policy priorities and develops a framework with guiding principles for co-creating inclusive, forward-looking pathways out of the crisis. The framework will help key stakeholders – including health officials, local and national governments and international agencies – create an equitable and transformative urban recovery.