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In This Update:
Coronavirus Breaks Out in Wuhan, China
What Wuhan Means for Chinese Industry and History
Foresight Africa: Addressing Africa's Urban Challenges in the Coming Decade
Is Public Transit Sexist? WIRED Magazine Says Yes
Why the Parisian Mayoral Candidates Are More Similar Than Different
Tokyo's Livability: Successes and Challenges Ahead
Spotlight Event: The Impact of Climate Change on the Urban Poor
In the News and Around the Web
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Coronavirus Breaks Out in Wuhan, China
Coronavirus has broken out in the Chinese city of Wuhan, killing 26 and infecting over 800. The virus cause respiratory illnesses ranging from cold to severe conditions like SARS. Earlier this week, the Chinese government restricted travel to and from Wuhan, home to 11 million people and the industrial and commerce center of central China. The government is restricting travel to adjacent cities as well. This affects millions of Chinese citizens who wish to travel for the Lunar New Year.y. Wuhan residents and outside observers are also concerned with government response, capacity, and its transparency about the number of cases. Hospitals are reportedly overwhelmed by long lines and lack enough testing kits and beds. Coronavirus cases have also been reported in the United States, Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Macau, Japan, and the Philippines
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What Wuhan Means for Chinese Industry and History
Wuhan, China is more than the center of the coronavirus outbreak, writes Carlos Tejada at The New York Times. Rather, its trajectory from poverty to becoming the commerce and industrial hub of central China means it "embodies China's rise as a global power, in all its complexities." For instance, its extraordinary economic growth is challenged by concurrent heavy pollution, traffic congestion, and a struggling steel industry. The history of Wuhan has also made the city politically symbolic. In 1966, Mao Zedong famously swam in adjacent Yangtze River to demonstrate his vitality at the start of the Cultural Revolution and in 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi there, which the Chinese media to describe their meeting as forging "the Wuhan spirit between two regional rivals."
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Foresight Africa: Addressing Africa's Urban Challenges in the Coming Decade
According to Brookings Institution report: "Foresight Africa: Top priorities for the continent 2020-2030," rapid urbanization constitutes a key trend for Africa over the next decade. Somik V. Lall argues that policymakers are failing to take advantage of the potential of urbanization to improve productivity and living standards. Lall identifies a lack of policy and market alignment in rapidly expanding cities as having produced dysfunctional land markets, fragmented product markets, weak city planning, and limited finance. Furthermore, the rural sector has declined, which exacerbates urban challenges because thriving cities require a well-functioning rural sector." Lall encourages African policymakers to raise agricultural productivity, adopt a well-functioning land market, enhance land planning, and embrace the benefits and opportunities presented by new technology and data.
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Is Public Transit Sexist? WIRED Magazine Says Yes
In WIRED magazine, Flavie Halais asserts: "Public transportation is sexist," even if "unintentional or implicit." Halais says public transportation is designed for solo male commuters, without taking into account women who travel for care and domestic work. Travel systems designed around 9-5 commuters mean longer wait times outside of peak hours while many metro systems lack elevators for strollers. Cities also often lack integrated transit systems which means individuals who use more than one type of transport for each leg of their journey must pay separate fares for each. Halais says stakeholders should invest in gender data disaggregation on travel patterns, which will improve whole transit system. Los Angeles Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington agrees: "These improvements will not just make the system better for women. This will make the system better for everyone."
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Why the Parisian Mayoral Candidates Are More Similar Than Different
The 2020 Parisian mayoral race represents a major shift in urban priorities, writes Feargus O'Sullivan at CityLab. Incumbent Mayor Anne Hidalgo is campaigning based on a number of ambitious policies: to make the city center "100% bicycle," create a new 5,000 member police force comprised of 50% women, and spend 20 billion euros to convert office buildings to affordable housing. Her opponents have adopted similar positions. The centrist party candidate promises to help middle-class renters, the independent candidate pledges to become "Paris' first true eco-mayor," and the Green candidate wants to freeze rent for five years. O'Sullivan says: "With a slate of candidates backing similar policies to Hidalgo's, the true victory seems to be for an urban politics that places sustainability at the heart of its policy choices - a position at center-stage that looks set to endure in Paris whatever the result of March's election.
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Tokyo's Livability: Successes and Challenges Ahead
At the Centre for Liveable Cities, Hiroo Ichikawa explores Tokyo's urban challenges and successes. Tokyo is ranked third on the Global Power City Index in large part due to the high quality of life, health, and well-being. Ichikawa says one driver of Tokyo's success in health is its medical system in which until age 75, the citizen pays 30% of medical care and the government pays 70%. After 75, citizens pay 20%. But, Ichikawa asserts Tokyo faces a number of long-term challenges, due to its ageing and diminishing population which will mean there will be fewer people to pay taxes to support pensions. Ichikawa offers solutions, such as developing a sharing economy open to immigrants, embracing artificial intelligence and robots in work such as caretakers for the elderly, and supporting technological advancements in mobility like autonomous cars and buses.
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The Impact of Climate Change on the Urban Poor and Their Development Prospects: A Peek at Recent USAID Research
February 5, 2020
Society for International Development, Washington
Cities worldwide are experiencing increasing effects of climate change. Climate
change is overtaxing the urban infrastructure that more and more people depend upon. For some, this problem is an inconvenience or even a major inconvenience. For others, especially the urban poor, the threat is literally existential. USAID is well aware of the many impacts of climate change on development, but is always striving to understand the implications in more detail.
The Society for International Development-Washington will host
USAID Office of Energy & Infrastructure Policy Advisor Matt Jelacic to speak about leading a USAID multi-country study on the impact of climate change on cities, as well as its initial findings about the way that climate change is affecting the urban poor.
This is organized by SID-Washington Infrastructure and Urban Development Co-Chairs David Painter and IHC Global CEO Judith Hermanson in collaboration with the Environment and Sustainability Workgroup .
More Speakers TBA.
Find more information here.
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In the News and Around the Web
- Officials in Chinese City Use AI to Police Public Pajamas : Officials in Suzhou, China released photos of seven people wearing pajamas in public, calling it "uncivilized.
- Copenhagen Embraces Sustainability Through Wood: A Danish firm says it will build an all-timber neighborhood.
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Turning Ash to Bricks:
Filipino officials are turning ash from the Taal volcano into bricks to rebuild homes damaged by the eruption.
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Wuhan, China is the center of the deadly coronavirus outbreak.
(Photo Credit: STR/AFP via Getty Images/Xinhua/Cheng Min
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