Vulnerability and public space governance in the post-covid city

Abstract

This essay outlines a research agenda on post-covid governance, and its impact on populations already vulnerable as a result of occupation, class, (im)migration status, religion, gender, race, and other factors. Drawing on recent instances of post-COVID governance in India, I reflect on its sudden, uneven, and heterogeneous impact on vulnerable populations that rely on urban public spaces for their basic needs. I question how these instances might influence meanings attached to public space and its use and governance. Reflecting on the scale and intensity of increased vulnerabilities experienced in public, I argue that these instances raise critical questions for urban scholars and new challenges for urban planners. Future work should include comparative research that examines the impact of public space governance on vulnerabilities and inequities across contexts. Such analysis may help inform future planning, public health policy, and public space governance in the post-COVID city.

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