On 8-13 February 2020, City Space Architecture participated in the 10th World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi as an exhibitor, and in collaboration with 16 global institutions promoted the exhibition ‘PUBLIC SPACE IS VITAL FOR AN EQUITABLE URBAN FUTURE’ – read a full report here.
On April 7, while about 40% of the global population was under coronavirus lockdown, we announced our brand new initiative ‘2020: A Year without Public Space under the COVID-19 Pandemic‘. The key idea of the initiative was to include diverse speakers from different parts of the world and disciplines to discuss their experiences.

A Year without Public Space under the COVID-19 Pandemic
An initiative jointly developed by City Space Architecture and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, School of Architecture
Co-funded by the RGC Fund Project: “Built Environment and Planning for Healthy Cities”, School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Curated by Luisa Bravo and Hendrik Tieben

Description of the initiative
Social distancing dictated by COVID-19 health emergency affects access to public space and with it creates a range of impacts on different levels. While the global lockdown is destabilising the economy and challenging country leaders, at the human level the pandemic is generating isolation and loneliness, with a significant rise of helplessness and fear. Everyone is asked to stay home and rearrange daily routines and work activities in indoor domestic spaces, looking at the world from behind a window.  
People are dying alone, numbers are increasingly high. Outdoor physical activities are no longer allowed. Many governments seem to lack proper strategies to manage the risk of massive contagion. In the Global South, the poor living in informal settlements have scarce access to water, washing hands could be dangerously impossible.
What is the future of public space? How can we face this unprecedented emergency and get prepared to its consequences, specifically regarding to health disparity? Public space restrictions will stay in place after recovering from the pandemic?
Is there something we can do now all together?
We, public space scholars and activists, believe that we can build social and health resilience by establishing an open environment for discussion and learning, while taking advantage of technology and virtual platforms that many can currently access for free. As the pandemic moves across different continents and urban conditions, we can share experiences from places where the virus has hit earlier or where recovery will start first.

Program of activities
1. ENGAGEMENT (April 2020 – October 2020): collection of information on a dedicated platform, through surveys and sharing of text, pictures, short videos, local news from different, intergenerational social groups from all geographical areas, regarding the current situation of public space and indoor daily routines from a personal perspective, and its evolution throughout the year.

2. DISCUSSION (May – September 2020): a series of webinars on Zoom with global experts to discuss the current situation and its consequences, by presenting innovative approaches and creative practices, touching different topics related to public health, social interaction and the future of public space.

3. PUBLICATION (2020): a special issue of ‘The Journal of Public Space’. The issue will include articles with perspectives and commentaries from global experts and a portfolio with outcomes of step 1- Engagement, and more relevant outcomes of step 2 – Discussion.

4. FOLLOW-UP LEARNING (May – November 2020): an online course to rethink public space during and after pandemics, “Designing Inclusive and Resilient Communities for the Post-COVID-19 era in Hong Kong and New York”,  International Urban Design Workshop, 8-13 June 2020, promoted by The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Parsons The New School (New York), the University of Auckland (New Zealand), City Space Architecture and The Journal of Public Space; and a special event to take place in Bologna, Italy. Urban Visions. Beyond the Ideal City, International Film Festival, 12-15 November 2020 -> postponed to 22-25 April 2021 (online format), promoted by City Space Architecture.

5. LONG-TERM LEARNING (2022): an online and free educational program entirely dedicated to public space, the Public Space Academy, that will also include content related to risk management and resilience during public health emergencies. The Academy will start in 2022 in a hybrid format, curated by City Space Architecture and supported by the Ove Arup Foundation.

IMPACT

As the pandemic was moving across different continents and urban conditions, through our online initiative, we exchanged experiences of care, solidarity, entrepreneurship, academic perspectives, artistic interpretations and creative practices of human resilience, engaging more than 100 speakers during 20 webinars from May to September 2020, and more than 2700 registered attendees from over 80 countries, including representatives from UN-Habitat.
At the end of 2020, City Space Architecture published a special issue of The Journal of Public Space dedicated to this initiative.