The Sunday News
Qinisani Ndlovu
Wuhan city, the capital of Hubei Province in the Republic of China, is well known for its food, tourism and culture. However, in December of 2019, unbeknown to many, the city would re-introduce itself to the world.
A month later Chinese epidemiologists had identified a pneumonia related disease of which the cause remained unknown. On 30 January 2020, the Director-General at the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the disease a pandemic, and it came to be known as the Corona Virus (Covid-19). Across the globe, central and local governments embarked on responses meant to curb the spread of the pandemic, measures and guidelines such as social distancing, sanitising and wearing masks became the order of the day.
The gravity of this pandemic was heavily felt by frontline health workers, pharmaceutical companies as well as grave diggers. Covid-19 disrupted and simultaneously sprinkled positive outcomes that signaled change for professions such as urbanism, construction and architecture. One should point out that the mentioned professions are responsible for shaping human lifestyles, communities and societies. Thus, have a bearing on the success and failure of Covid-19 interventions.
Architects, contractors and urban managers have been cast into the spotlight and tasked with providing new insights into how cities can deal with pandemics.
Africa attracted a lot of debate regarding the pandemic, the usual characteristics of African cities that being ballooning populations, slum dwellings, weak policies, rampant rural to urban migration as well as the inheritance of colonial architecture and urban planning practices, dominated the discussions.
The international audience was convinced that African cities would soon become entry points and hubs of Covid-19, and lead a second wave of infections. Any sensible inhabitant of Africa will confirm that population growth poses a threat to the continent, the ramifications include rapid urbanisation, slums and informal settlements, density and mobility issues.
Rewind to March 1 2020 when the first case of corona virus surfaced in Southern Africa, the sprawling informal settlements, with no access to basic services, as well as overpopulation created a seemingly perfect breeding ground for the virus. Architecture, human activity and urban planning form part of the sociology of a settlement. However, with human activity comes the boom in population, a 2020 report by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme suggests that 44 percent of Africa’s total population lives in areas defined as urban, compared to only 19 percent in 1960. A 10-fold increase, from 53 million urban residents in 1960 to 588 million in 2020.
It is projected that the number of Africa’s urban residents will increase to 1.5 billion by 2050. Proponents of development view population growth as a gift, while a certain section views it as a curse to the continent. Infections tend to thrive in populous areas and as a result, Africa is not new to outbreaks of diseases.
History dictates that infections have long been a catalyst in reshaping the urban landscape globally. Michael Murphy in his article, the role of architecture in fighting a pandemic, makes reference to the Tugela Ferry drug resistant Tuberculosis outbreak. He argues that the hospital in the small town of KwaZulu-Natal, was poorly ventilated, a sign of failed spatial planning.
As a result, a new TB ward was constructed to deal specifically with airborne infectious diseases. In Harare, the cholera outbreaks of 2008-9 were a direct result of overpopulation, which led to the overloading of water and sewer systems.
The response was the growth and development of satellite towns around the capital city, namely Chitungwiza, Norton and Epworth.
In Zimbabwe, funding was funnelled towards the refurbishment of Ekusileni Hospital in Bulawayo as well the establishment of an isolation ward at the Thorngrove infectious diseases facility.
Covid-19 wreaked havoc in Zimbabwe with Bulawayo, one of the affected regions. According to the Bulawayo City Council 25 suburbs were hard hit by Covid-19, with Cowdray Park topping the charts, followed by Magwegwe, Pumula, Lobengula and Nkulumane. As alluded to, the colonial fabric, through the urban planning act and building codes continues to influence the built environment in Zimbabwe.
Western suburbs were reserved for the black population under white rule. Characterised by high density of people per square metre, compact dwellings and longer distance to major health facilities. This setting made it almost impossible to adhere to Covid-19 guidelines, which involves self-isolation, social distancing and rapid testing upon suspicion of infection.
Policy makers, urban managers, construction companies and architects need to have a relook into the urban environment and its contribution to infections. A Trans – disciplinary approach to building design and planning would be very welcome in addressing future health threats.
Higher education has a role to play in educating future urban planners through the introduction of socio-spatial and environmental psychology studies.
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