ABSTRACT
This study analyzed the effects of the urban institutional actions and voluntary actions on COVID-19. We use two fundamental organizational model that underpin crisis management on local level: the top-down and the loosely coupled model to understand what choice works better. Based on data in 64 Italian regions, we employed a random-effect panel model. It was found that: 1) despite the non-significant effect of local police controls, urban planning has an important role in constraining the spread of the pandemic since context characterized by an update local plan are related to smaller values of COVID-19 incidence. 2) Vaccination on voluntary action also helps to reduce the COVID-19 incidence. 3) NPOs initiative are positively related to the incidence over time. In light of results, a mixed coordination model with authority in a central role and voluntary action inside a formal net of emergency seems to be the optimal urban resilient response to the pandemic. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.