Facing pandemics through smart cities

• Type: Chapter or Part of a Book
• Date: 2025

Authors

Costa, G (Author) FEUP

Book

Title: Smart Cities for Inclusive Innovation: Concepts, technologies and solutions

Pages: 261-285

ISBN: 978-183953442-3; 978-183953441-6

Electronic ISBN: 9781839534423

Indexing

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-018-HAG

DOI: 10.1049/pbbe005e_ch12

Abstract (EN): The significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic that shocked the world from 2020 are expected to profoundly alter the management of health information in this century. With the rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, resulting in millions of cases even in countries far from known outbreak epicenters, there is a clear understanding that more efficient measures should be created to avoid new pandemics. In fact, our highly urbanized way of living has strongly contributed for this unprecedented health crisis, incurring in tens of millions of deaths considering both official and under-reported numbers [1,2]. Although cities have faced other pandemics before, and similar or worse health crises are still anticipated in this century [3], the COVID-19 pandemic took place in an era of prominent technological developments, which served as a testing ground for innovative experiences in disseminating information and developing strategies to stop (or decelerate) the spread of infectious viruses. The lessons learned from this crisis will potentially indicate how well we will be prepared for the next pandemics. In the initial weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak, the lack of proper information and effective control measures lead to the widespread propagation of the virus, boosted by a worldwide network of flights connecting almost every corner of the globe. As infectious airborne viruses tend to thrive in densely populated areas, cities became the central stage for this pandemic [4]. After some time, it was increasingly evident that more efficient cooperation among governments and public organizations was necessary. Such collaboration could pave the way for the adoption of advanced levels of digital integration within urban areas, particularly when leveraging the promised transformations that will come with the smart cities' revolution [5]. While infectious disease outbreaks are indeed a global phenomenon, their impact will be particularly acute within urban centers. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic stands as a prominent example, with its origins traced back to the Chinese city of Wuhan. Being a sprawling metropolis with extensive transportation networks, the characteristics of Wuhan greatly facilitated the spread of the virus [6]. Within a remarkably short span, major urban hubs like Milan in Italy, Madrid in Spain, and New York City in the United States found themselves grappling with the rapid and uncontrolled transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, prompting governments to implement stringent lockdown measures and enforce mandatory quarantines. In our current urban settings, which have become fertile ground for the transmission and dissemination of pathogens, a series of challenges persist. Actually, cities will continue to be the main stage for future pandemics, which will remain as an ever-present menace in this century. This elevates smart cities to a prominent place as one of the most effective resources for addressing them. Recognizing this pivotal role is an important step to prepare ourselves to detect, alert, and contain such health crises in the coming future. This chapter discusses potential trends when leveraging smart cities to face outbreaks and pandemics. Recent lessons from the last pandemics are discussed, highlighting successful cases during the COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, the main challenges when implementing health-centric smart urban services are discussed, as well as promising technological perspectives. Privacy concerns about active population surveillance and tracing are also discussed. Finally, the effect of existing urban inequalities on the construction of pandemic-resilient smart cities is analyzed. All these discussions can give important clues about how these and other challenges can be overcome when promoting safer, sustainable, and healthier smart cities. © The Institution of Engineering and Technology and its licensors 2025. All rights reserved.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 24