Cities are the synthesis of thousands of years of agreements—as fragile as we are, yet wonderfully adaptable to change. As a result, they remain the ultimate ecosystem for our lives to unfold. Thanks to density, they allow us to maximize the benefits of the infrastructure, services, and public spaces we have created to sustain the well-being to which we aspire.
At first glance, all of this is in crisis today as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, looking back at our history reveals far more lethal epidemics that ultimately brought substantial improvements to the way we live.
Many of the urban features we take for granted today actually emerged in response to epidemics or public health crises: public fountains and clean water networks, sewage systems, parks and plazas, tree-lined sidewalks, street height-to-width ratios, density controls, and the relocation of cemeteries.
