Cities are the centers of creativity, capital, and connection. They are also at the front line of our current crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down our cities. Streets and public spaces became silent, and activity ceased with astonishing speed. Mass protests over structural racism have swept through our streets and public spaces. Together, they have radically transformed our current reality.
The global lockdown may be the single largest collective act that humanity has undertaken. A staggering 81% of the global workforce has been affected. More than 36 million Americans have filed for unemployment. Those hardest hit have been the most vulnerable: essential frontline workers, immigrants, the elderly, and communities of color. Acute underlying problems in cities that have existed for a long time have been brought into sharp focus. At the same time, we are also offered a glimpse of a future where cities could look quite different.