During the research process, we had the opportunity to explore different perspectives on how to promote resilience in neighbourhoods and cities, which resulted in a variety of resources. Listed below, you will find academic and professional publications, as well as a series of webinars, where we were joined by experts to discuss the topic of designing for neighbourhood resilience while addressing social and ecological issues in an integral way.
Within this database, we keep examples of (how urban) designers have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and the problems they addressed through (proposed) public space and civic engagement interventions. You can also use the database to get inspired to address and tackle challenges brought out by the COVID-19 pandemic and improve resilience.
We categorized the database by five themes, each containing several unique design strategies. Each example also includes metadata, a description and a reflection on how this particular example relates to resilience.
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Using bright tape to mark surfaces where people are not supposed to sit
Tape Measures
Designing safe social-distancing spaces through the use of AR
Augmented Assembly
Repurposing roads for motorized traffic to give more space to cyclists
Pop-up bike lane
Using colorful paint to repurpose road space for pedestrians and cyclists
#StreetsForPeople
Using a nylon ribbon allow people to demarcate their own safe space
Beachbelt kit
Indicating what is a proper distance on a public square, using a grid of squares painted on the floor
StoDistante
Sticking on the floor signes, elements to visually indicate where to stand (when there is a waiting line).
Walk Walk Dance
Offering free food to those hit hardest by the pandemic
Community Fridges Across NYC
Offering vital support to homeless people during times of pandemic
Place-based social service provision
A pop-up stage that allows for open-air theatrical performances in dense urban areas
Open air theatre
A pop-up church with open sides that allows a local congregation to worship safely
Alhambra Cross
Building temporary structures outdoors to enable restaurants to continue their business
Common Ground
Reorganizing public space spatially in a particular place
Vegetable market in Kalaw
Building quickly temporary structures outdoor to continue group or generally crowded activities safely
‘Garage Screen’ pop up cinema
Building temporary structures outdoor to continue group or generally crowded activities safely
School/House
Using drive-ins to offer prayer services to worshippers
Drive-in prayer services
Symbolizing the desire of people to be together, while also needing to stay apart
Together Apart
Offering a temporary place to meet, hang out, and dine together
TULIP
Symbolizing the possible physical and emotional interactions between people
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Offering a place for people to experience safely public outdoor spaces, while connecting with nature
Parc de la Distance
Creating a place for commemoration
Tree-covered coronavirus memorial
Creating a place for people to breath, alone or in sync with one another
Breathing Pavilion
Creating a temporary medical space for doctors to treat patients, vaccinate, test
Mobile vaccination centres in shipping containers
Creating a temporary medical space for doctors to treat patients, vaccinate, test.
Prefabricated vaccination pavilions
Creating a temporary medical space for doctors to treat patients, vaccinate, test.
CURA: Connected Unit for Respiratory Ailments
Enabling people to publicly share and receive gratitude and appreciation
Dear Heroes
Sending a message of optimism and empowerment
A New Now
Offering a place for people to connect with others and nature in a safe way
Nomo Fomo bench
Offering a temporary place to meet in public space while keeping a safe distance
The Open Café
Offering a 'clean' (covid-free) space to gather
Urban Sun
Redesigning and implementing parklets for local restaurants owners to stay in business during times of pandemic
Liverpool Without Walls
Placing a series of small greenhouses outdoors, in order to offer a safe and intimate dining experience
Mediamatic’s Serres Séparées
An affordable and easy-to-build classroom for moving education outdoors
Little Tiger Covid Classroom
Reorganizing public space spatially in a particular place
Reshaping Football
Decentralizing open-air markets in order to reduce commute and risk of contamination
Hyperlocal Micromarkets
Building temporary structures outdoor to safely continue activities that involve groups or crowds
Pop-up Wifi-workstation at Somerville Library
Creating flexible and adaptable structures
Speed-Rail modular kit
Organising outdoor spaces to convert activities from indoor to save, outdoor and drive-in activities
GoDriveIn
A sealed take-out window for safely transferring meals to delivery customers
Creator Transfer Chamber
Indicating visually and in real-time a 1.5 meter safe zone around public space users with an interactive floor
Personal space in cities
Painting shapes on the grass to visually indicate where people may settle down
Beatrixpark and Maasboulevard distancing circles
Lawn mowed in a checkerboard pattern to demarcate spaces where people can sit safely
Checkerboard lawn for social distancing
Allowing people to demarcate their own space and keep proper distance from one another, using a modular frame of connectable rods
C’entro
Painting shapes on the grass to visually indicate where people may settle down
Domino’s Park
An interactive floor that indicates appropriate distance in a dynamic and visual way
physx
A playful and responsive floor pattern in the form of a musical notation for indicating proper distance
Social Harmony
Informing people about social distancing rules with a large informative banner
Span boards in the K-neighbourhood
Connecting a monitor with a camera to give real-time feedback on the minimum physical distance that needs to be respected
1.5 Meter Monitor
Using tape and stickers to visually indicate proper distance in waiting lines
Distancing Tape and Stickers
Painting shapes on the grass to visually indicate where people may sit or stand