Locked down by inequality: Older people and the COVID-19 pandemic.

This paper develops the argument that post-COVID-19 recovery strategies need to focus on building back fairer cities and communities, and that this requires a strong embedding of 'age-friendly' principles to support marginalised groups of older people, especially those living in deprived urban neighbourhoods, trapped in poor quality housing. It shows that older people living in such areas are likely to experience a 'double lockdown' as a result of restrictions imposed by social distancing combined with the intensification of social and spatial inequalities. This argument is presented as follows: first, the paper examines the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on older people, highlighting how the pandemic is both creating new and reinforcing existing inequalities in ageing along the lines of gender, class, ethnicity, race, ability and sexuality. Second, the paper explores the role of spatial inequalities in the context of COVID-19, highlighting how the pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on deprived urban areas already affected by cuts to public services, the loss of social infrastructure and pressures on the voluntary sector. Finally, the paper examines how interrelated social inequalities at both the individual and spatial level are affecting the lives of older people living in deprived urban neighbourhoods during the pandemic. The paper concludes by developing six principles for 'age-friendly' community recovery planning aimed at maintaining and improving the quality of life and wellbeing of older residents in the post-pandemic city.

Exploring latent neighbourliness: Does turning locally for support in major challenges matter and, if not, then what may?

How much goodness do we expect from our neighbours? People living nearby might be locked with each other in interdependencies by spatial proximity but often do not know each other more personally. This chapter explores the question of how latent neighbourliness - an expectation that neighbours will have our back even though we might not know them -emerges. We draw on statistical analyses of survey data from four neighbourhoods in Berlin, Germany, and a pre- and post-COVID-19 methodology, therefore capturing a time when people were asked to stay home and within their neighbourhoods. Our findings demonstrate that latent neighbourliness is neither significantly associated with personal support from neighbours when facing important challenges, nor personal support experienced in the neighbourhood with others whom we know, but who are not neighbours (e.g., family members). Neither is latent neighbourliness a fixed attitude that can be explained by individual characteristics and/or positions (such as age, gender, education, income, one's employment situation and others). In contrast, we find that, apart from individual generalised trust towards others, the neighbourhood setting itself shapes levels of latent neighbourliness among all demographics. Additionally, those with younger children show higher latent neighbourliness, most likely a result of moral geographies. We argue that caring for children in public and experiencing or displaying moral codes that others can read makes it easier to develop an expectation of goodwill (or for that matter, hostility) from neighbours, without having more durable ties to them. © 2022 by Emerald Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.

Young people from popular neighbourhoods and engagements in Île de France. A look from the health crisis

This article discusses the activities and forms of engagement developed by the young people from popular neighbourhoods of the Parisian region in their experience of confinement by the pandemic COVID-19, in the spring of 2020. Does the social and urban situation of this youth give it a specificity? What forms and processes of engagement does it develop? From this point of view, what allows us to grasp the health crisis and its management in the popular neighbourhoods? Our results, based on a participatory research with young people, carried out between 2018 and 2021 in ten popular neighbourhoods, show how the health crisis has accentuated and made visible the situations of social inequality and discrimination in these neighbourhoods. They also stress the importance of the solidarity networks that were activated and the diversity of modalities of engagement of these young people, the vast majority of whom are of immigrant origin. © Marie-Hélène Bacquè.

Unpacking the concept of 20-minute neighbourhoods: disentangling "desired outcomes” from the "means” available for achieving them

Purpose: An in-depth literature review was undertaken to uncover (1) what are described as the desired outcomes for 20 minute neighbourhoods (20MNs) – the normatively based ends which planners, architects and decision-makers want 20MNs to achieve;(2) the means (the mechanisms, levers, triggers and causal factors) that have to be correctly assembled and lined up for 20MNs to operate as intended and (3), in order to avoid naive environmental determinism, the behavioural changes required to support the operation of 20MNs even where the required configuration of means can be achieved. The content analysis was conducted following guidelines offered by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria. Design/methodology/approach: Growing interest in the urban design concept of the "20MNs” has been greatly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been presented as a way of increasing the quality of local environments by enabling people to meet their daily needs through access to safe walking and cycling routes or by public transport. Internationally, it has captured the imagination of political decision-makers, built-environment practitioners and communities alike, as a life-affirming post-pandemic vision, held up as achieving environmental, health and economic improvements as well as reducing inequalities experienced by many. This paper's overall purpose is to separate the ends pursued in 20MNs from means available for achieving them. Findings: The paper concludes that the ambition to see the 20MNs widely woven into existing urban, suburban and rural neighbourhoods will require significant effort to ensure all that all the component parts of, and key players in, planning's place-delivery systems are aligned and mutually supportive. Even where this can be achieved, further guidance will be needed on (1) how to operationalise the practical implementation of 20MNs and (2) how their success can be measured. Originality/value: The originality of the paper lies in its efforts to discriminate between ends and means – between desired outcomes of 20MNs and the means available for achieving them. The significance of the paper lies here in this attempt to initiate a discussion on possible causal relationships between what is wanted and what would need to be done to achieve it. Without clarity about these relationships, misunderstanding, confusion and barriers to communication may arise across the many different organizations, stakeholder groups and actors involved. This lack of clarity could undermine trust and confidence, potentially undermining both the process and to its outcomes. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Vaccination of children in marginalized neighbourhoods: equity and diversity challenges with COVID-19 vaccination campaigns

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated social inequities along ethnic, racial and socio-economic lines, with significant harmful consequences for children. Building on the lessons learned from community-based initiatives, this commentary proposes a reflection around equity, diversity, and inclusion challenges embedded in child vaccination campaigns during an emergency context. We argue that building equitable and inclusive practices around marginalized communities' child vaccination is a multifaceted challenge. Beyond good intentions-wanting to protect children-the risks and benefits associated with highlighting diversity in each intervention need to be carefully considered, especially when it comes to a contested/polarizing procedure such as vaccination with a novel type of vaccine. Often, a one-size-fits-all approach negates and perpetuates structural inequities. In other cases, highlighting diversity and inequities may inadvertently increase stigma and discrimination, and further harm or infantilize targeted communities. By providing multiple perspectives, a transdisciplinary approach can support decision-making in a crisis context.

Prioritization and allocation model of COVID-19 vaccine in neighborhoods of Mashhad using AHP and fuzzy logic

Introduction: The global outbreak of the COVID-19 in 2019, and the high mortality rate of the disease call for decision-making and finding a solution to control its spread. One of the most effective ways is to use the COVID-19 vaccine. Due to the limited supply of corona vaccines, the distribution of this vaccine is generally prioritized and allocated among individuals. Methods: In this descriptive correlational study, GIS, AHP tools, and fuzzy logic were used to achieve the goal of prioritizing and allocating corona vaccine to the neighborhoods in Mashhad. Neighborhoods' prioritization was analyzed in four scenarios including: AHP, WHO guideline, guideline of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran, and localized collective wisdom. Results: The output of neighborhood prioritization of the four mentioned scenarios has been specified in five classes. In the AHP scenario, the lowest percentage (8.89%), and in the localized collective wisdom, the highest percentage (42.22%) was allocated to the neighborhoods with the first priority. Regarding spatial distribution, only in the first scenario, some kind of order was observed. Furthermore, there is generally no high correlation between the results, and only the scenario of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and the localized collective wisdom presented a correlation of 0.82. Conclusion: Considering the COVID-19 vaccine shortage, spatial allocation based on the presented guidelines is a reliable method which can meet the basic criteria for allocating the limited treatment resources, and 180 neighborhoods throughout Mashhad were identified and prioritized with different scenarios which can assist the decision-makers.

‘Belong anywhere': Focusing on authenticity and the role of Airbnb in the projected destination image

There is little research that analyses the contribution of tourism-related digital platforms, and particularly Airbnb, to the creation and projection of international destinations' images. This study seeks to address this gap by developing a content analysis of the Airbnb Guides to more than 500 global urban neighbourhoods (globalhoods). We analysed Airbnb users' descriptions posted in the period following the Great Recession up to the COVID-19 pandemic. Content analysis shows how Airbnb projects the images of these globalhoods through a narrative based on creating a perception of authenticity but that finally projects a commodified image of destination identities and their communities. © 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Tourism Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Learning From Covid-19: Social Infrastructure in Disadvantaged Housing Areas in Denmark

The Danish post-war housing areas originally epitomised the dawn of the welfare state, with modern housing blocks organ-ised as enclaves surrounded by open green spaces, promoting ideals like hygiene, light, fresh air, equity, and community. Often, these housing areas were developed in vacant lots in suburban areas, and social infrastructure planning was an essential part of stimulating the sense of community with centrally located community centres and other common facili-ties. Due to segregation, some of these housing areas have become disadvantaged neighbourhoods, and the Danish state has recently introduced new measures, including demolitions and evictions, to transform the areas and increase their social and functional mix. The social infrastructure of these areas has traditionally been a physical framework for organ-ised social activities and social support for socially disadvantaged citizens, facilitated by professionals. However, during the pandemic lockdown, shared physical facilities were temporarily closed and all organised social activities cancelled, thus ren-dering visible critical aspects of social infrastructure that may normally be taken for granted or remain unnoticed. Yet the pandemic also activated communities in new ways, making visible more informal and ad hoc social infrastructure with new communication channels, practical help among neighbours, and community singing from balconies. Based on recent architectural-anthropological field studies in a range of disadvantaged housing areas in Denmark, this article locates social infrastructure during the time of Covid-19. It discusses the potential of mapping existing social networks and suggests a more differentiated view through three levels of social infrastructure learning from the pandemic's emergency period.

Social inclusion through the urban lens: a comparative analysis of neighbourhoods of residential racial homogeneity and heterogeneity in Cape Town, South Africa

The world is increasingly urbanising, more than half of the global population live within cities. The impact of COVID-19 is having devastating effects. The United Nations estimates that the pandemic will most likely elevate poverty and inequalities at a global scale. The World Bank's twin goals of ending extreme poverty and promoting prosperity and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals have deemed inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities as global imperatives. Despite wide recognition, building inclusive cities remains a challenge. Many studies of social inclusion are conducted at an individual or household scale, with little emphasis on the interaction between human dynamics and the spatial characteristics of cities. This article proposes a data driven framework for examining urban social inclusion through the profiling of neighbourhoods by combining spatial network measurements, transport, land use and socio-economic indicators in Cape Town, South Africa. The spatial unit of the neighbourhood is considered an important building block within cities and has especially historically important social and cultural connotations in South Africa. The results show that there are 4 types of neighbourhoods, Economically disadvantaged and marginalised, Affluent and exclusive, Semi residentially heterogeneous and Residentially heterogeneous. Neighbourhoods with increased residential racial heterogeneity, additionally, have access to higher levels of mixed land use, transport, and global closeness centrality. Furthermore, neither extremely high nor low-income neighbourhoods are found to be related to racial heterogeneity. The results enable the profiling and comparison of neighbourhoods, and it is envisioned that this evidence-based approach could support policy makers and urban planners within decision making processes. © 2022 Proceedings 13th International Space Syntax Symposium, SSS 2022. All rights reserved.

Present security of the neighbourhood urban parks considering SARS-CoV-2 potential spreading - a case study in Ursynow district in Warsaw

Motives: It is expected that COVID-19 pandemic will impact future design, use and perception of urban green spaces such as public parks. How to facilitate residents' safe use of the urban green spaces and reduce health risks has become important question to consider by landscape architects and municipal authorities responsible for the public green areas resources. This research focuses on examination of urban parks of a typical residential district of a large city in terms of their security in time of COVID-19 pandemic. Aim: In urban parks of Ursynow district in Warsaw were assessed: quality and present security and possibilities of re-adjustments to increase their security.

‘Belong anywhere’: Focusing on authenticity and the role of Airbnb in the projected destination image

There is little research that analyses the contribution of tourism-related digital platforms, and particularly Airbnb, to the creation and projection of international destinations' images. This study seeks to address this gap by developing a content analysis of the Airbnb Guides to more than 500 global urban neighbourhoods (globalhoods). We analysed Airbnb users' descriptions posted in the period following the Great Recession up to the COVID-19 pandemic. Content analysis shows how Airbnb projects the images of these globalhoods through a narrative based on creating a perception of authenticity but that finally projects a commodified image of destination identities and their communities.

The activation of the settled. The community kitchens in the sociocultural fabric of the vulnerable neighborhoods during the pandemic

The aim of this article is to reflect on the specific role, practices and dynamics deployed by a key actor in vulnerable neighborhoods in times of pandemic: community kitchens. In this context we ask: What perspectives did these actors build about the food situation of families in general and children and adolescents in particular? How did they organize themselves in order to manage the food issue? What knowledge and meanings were put into play? What characteristics did the link with families and children and adolescents in particular assume? What role did other policies and programs that were directly or indirectly associated with food such as the Emergency Family Income, the Universal Child Allowance and the Alimentar Card play? A qualitative approach, based on in-depth interviews, is used to address these questions, taking eight popular neighborhoods in La Plata, Berisso and Ensenada as case studies.

Assessing Resource Efficiency of City Neighbourhoods: A Methodological Framework for Structuring and Practical Application of Indicators in Urban Planning

Today, changing framework conditions of living and working in cities drive urban planning processes for refurbishment, notably at the level of neighbourhoods, and provide a window of opportunity to enhance resource efficiency and sustainable urban development. Indicators, as part of sustainability assessment methods, may support the identification of the most beneficial planning alternatives or the selection of measures. However, the fact that a multitude of indicators are proposed in the literature discourages their actual use and hampers a sound application for decision support. To tackle these challenges, a manual has been developed proposing a framework for the use of indicators in urban planning. In this contribution, the theoretical foundations of the proposed framework are analysed. A conceptual outline of the framework is presented, which as its core has a typology of indicators, and its embedding in urban planning processes is discussed. The framework combines a theoretically concise unifying structure with a flexible practical approach for application in diverse areas of resource efficiency. Thus, it shall enhance transparency as well as comparability in the use of indicators, foster communication between stakeholders and in the long run support the application of indicators and use of sustainability assessment methods as regular parts of urban planning.

Special Issue: Peer-to-peer service platforms in tourism. (Special Issue: Peer-to-peer service platforms in tourism.)

This special issue presents theoretical and empirical perspectives on platform-mediated tourism by focusing on Airbnb, which is the most notable digital platform specialising in short-term property rental. The case studies included in this issue show that the impacts of short-term renting on neighbourhoods, residents and tourism operators are uneven, but increasingly significant. The authors explore issues of social justice in terms of residents' quality of life, working conditions, the housing market, urban structure, and the morality of operators who navigate through normative loopholes. They also examine the governance challenges caused by the inadequacy of existing legal frameworks to better regulate platform-mediated activities, and the reactions generated by social movements and city governments. With the outbreak of Covid-19, networks of cities are taking action against platforms to regain their control over data that is needed to regulate platform-mediated tourism services.

Lessons Learned from the Covid-19 Pandemic to Raise the Quality of Residential Neighbourhoods: The Saudi Context

Saudi Arabia was one of the countries that undertook early precautionary measures from March 8 to June 21, 2020, to avoid the spread of Covid-19. These measures consisted of partial lockdowns and isolating some neighbourhoods from the rest of the city. The precautionary procedures impacted the isolated residents' ability to meet their needs and conduct their daily activities, but the greatest impact appeared in low-density neighbourhoods that do not have full services. This paper proposes a set of recommendations and practical procedures to improve the quality of residential neighbourhoods and avoid negative effects as a result of a partial or total lockdown in the future. The steps involved in the study include the following: identify precautionary procedures;monitor and analyse the reactions resulting from their application;and identify the shortcomings that cause the negative effects and inability to meet the needs of the population. Based on the findings, this paper outlines recommendations for a set of procedures that would improve the quality of residential neighbourhoods and avoid negative effects should future precautionary measures be required. © 2022. Scientific Journal of King Faisal University Basic and Applied Sciences. All Rights Reserved.

Confined community health: reflections and experiences from the local public health

This paper aims to share the reflections related to the community actions in which the Agencia de Salut Publica de Barcelona has been involved during the emergency of COVID-19. The tasks carried out can be arranged in three stages, frequently overlapping: detection of needs and problems;contact with key stakeholders to assess what to do and how to do it;adaptation of the interventions to the "new normal" and generation of new responses. The emerging problems included: not being able to do the confinement (due to homelessness, material conditions, living in a situation of violence);digital gap (lack of knowledge, devices, access to Wifi);greater exposure to COVID-19 in the essential but precarious, feminized and racialized jobs (care, cleaning, food shops) that are the most frequent in the neighborhoods in where we work;language and cultural barriers that preclude to follow recommendations;to lose employment;insufficient income to cover basic needs;social isolation;and the deterioration of emotional health caused by the situation. During the process, some interventions were adapted to be delivered on-line. Solidarity networks and local resources were key to meet basic needs, but also other needs related to lack of digital knowledge or device. Community action in health, from a critical, intersectional and local perspective, and with intersectoral work and community participation, can contribute to: facilitate a contextualized response in the event of a health crisis;mitigate the effects derived from its economic and social crisis.

The prospective relationship between loneliness, life satisfaction and psychological distress before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.

Aim: Mental wellbeing in the UK seems to have deteriorated significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the rates of loneliness, life satisfaction and psychological distress taking longer to return to the pre-pandemic levels than elsewhere. Nevertheless, there is little knowledge about the interactions between these outcomes, or the factors that played a role in the rates of change. The current study aims to address this gap by simultaneously investigating changes in loneliness, life satisfaction and psychological distress in the UK from pre-pandemic levels to those between April and November 2020, while critically assessing the role of a range of social ecological influencing factors. Subject and Methods: Longitudinal data from Understanding Society (N=3475) were used to explore the changes in loneliness, life satisfaction and psychological distress from pre-pandemic levels (2017-2019) through November 2020, the interactions between these outcomes, and the role of individual, social, community and geographic factors in the rates of change, using multivariate latent growth curve model. Results: Loneliness, life satisfaction and psychological distress deteriorated minimally between April and November 2020, compared to the pre-pandemic levels (2017-2019), while the rate of change in each outcome influenced the rates of change in the other two. Key individual (age, gender, physical health), social (number of friends and similarity to them), and environmental (neighbourhood quality) variables influenced baseline scores and the rates of change. Conclusion: Considering significant dynamic associations between loneliness, life satisfaction and psychological distress, we argue that interventions to tackle any one of the outcomes may have beneficial effects on others, while highlighting malleable factors and individual and community-level interventions to tackle loneliness.

Third-party impacts of short-term rental accommodation: a community survey to inform government responses. (Special Issue: Peer-to-peer service platforms in tourism.)

Short-term rental accommodation (STRA) sharing economy platforms, such as Airbnb, give rise to externalities or negative third-party impacts in neighbourhoods. Governments worldwide continue to grapple with how to best regulate STRA platforms given such externalities, especially in the wake of COVID-19. When STRA is perceived as poorly controlled, anecdotal reports indicate that community resentment around perceived inequities and negative economic, social, and environmental impacts rise. However, little research has systematically investigated community perceptions of STRA, notably Airbnb effects at a local, non-metropolitan level, as well as preferred regulatory responses. This paper examines such community perceptions in one of Australia's top tourism destinations, the Byron Shire. An online survey of 819 residents, identified four positive, eight negative and seven mixed impacts of Airbnb on community. To redress the adverse effects and enhance the sustainable performance of STRA (including Airbnb), a majority of residents favoured several regulatory strategies such as mandatory on-site management of STRA properties and better avenues to report complaints of misconduct. However, with notable reported differences between host and non-host residents. The study thus offers possible regulatory options to support regionally-based local councils as they seek to address opposing community concerns.

Urban tourism - component of the integrated development strategy of towns. case study, Calarasi municipality, Romania

In the context of the accentuation of the urbanization process, the towns become the main source of territorial development. At the same time, however, they face major challenges regarding sustainability, climate change, social cohesion, environment or mobility. In the perspective of 2030, Calarasi municipality will be the economic center of interest of South-Muntenia region, through the superior capitalization of the existing resources: the geo-strategic positioning, the natural and anthropic patrimony and the human resource. Based on these considerations, we set out to highlight the tourist potential of Calarasi municipality in order to identify the types of tourism that can be practiced in the town and its surroundings. The indicators of the tourist infrastructure, respectively, tourist accommodation units, accommodation capacity, analysis of the main tourist traffic - arrivals, overnight stays, average length of stay were structurally determined and analyzed for 2007-2019, after Romania accession to the European Union and before the health crisis Covid-19. The favourable geographical location of the municipality gives it various advantages as regards economy, tourism, and landscape. The proximity to the Danube River, which is a real development potential for leisure, fishing, business or scientific tourism, to which is added the cultural, ecumenical and hunting tourism. The attractiveness of this Danube town can be increased by better capitalizing on the elements of built and natural heritage that complement the urban landscape and neighbourhoods and which can lead to increase the stay of tourists, with economic and social implications.

Compact cities and the Covid-19 pandemic: Systematic review of the associations between transmission of Covid-19 or other respiratory viruses and population density or other features of neighbourhood design.

Living in compact neighbourhoods that are walkable, well connected, with accessible green space can benefit physical and mental health. However, the pandemic raises concern up to what extent features of compact neighbourhood design affect transmission of viral respiratory infections. We conducted a systematic review to identify, appraise and synthesise evidence reporting associations between transmission of respiratory viruses, including Covid-19, and dwelling or population density or other features of neighbourhood design. Twenty-one studies met our inclusion criteria. These studies used different measures of neighbourhood design, contributing to inconsistent findings. Whereas no convincing conclusion can be drawn here, the outcome of this review indicates that robust, global evidence is warranted to inform future policies and legislation concerned with compact neighbourhood design and transmission of respiratory and viral infection.