2.4.2. Communications and digital connectivity

connected to public transport in countries and cities where such measures have been put in place have been very low. Implementing similar measures in developing country contexts where many commuters rely on informal, private owned transport such as minivans, where physical distancing and sanitizing are often not practicable, has proved more challenging. These modes are chosen by population groups with limited transportation options and are often unclean, overcrowded and poorly ventilated, potentially raising the risk of infections.

However, as discussed in Chapter 1, many cities have responded to the challenges brought on by the pandemic with the expansion of pedestrian areas and cycling lanes as a safe and affordable alternative. These could bring a range of lasting benefits to urban populations, especially those poorly served by auto-dominated transport systems, if sustained in the long term. An important determinant of this will be whether governments continue to channel the resources necessary for a lasting transformation. Without sufficient political will, even the limited infrastructure available can become obsolete. A case in point is the designated cycle lane in UN Avenue in Nairobi: with little measures in place to deter car owners from parking their vehicles there, it is largely unusable for its intended users.

As cities navigate their recovery from the pandemic, it is important to bear in mind that two very different scenarios could play out. On the one hand, if many residents remain reluctant to use public transport, private car use and its associated social, spatial and environmental problems could increase. On the other hand, if enough investment and imagination is committed, urban transportation could become more low-carbon and inclusive for everyone, with significant benefits to health and wellbeing. To be truly effective, these changes need to be accompanied by a broader shift in the way cities and neighbourhoods are planned and managed, an issue explored in greater detail in Chapter 1.

2.4.2. Communications and digital connectivity

One distinct feature of the current pandemic has been the central role played by the internet and digital technologies in shifting key aspects of daily life, in particular education and employment, online. While helping to alleviate some of the impacts of COVID-19 and the restrictions imposed to contain its spread, this rapid shift has also renewed concerns about a growing “digital divide”. With access to the internet, computers, smartphones and other technologies now more important than ever, addressing these inequalities is essential to ensuring a fairer society.

While technological solutions and remote working may ease some of the direct economic impacts of lockdowns and pave a way towards a more equitable spatial organization of cities, they also have the potential to widen existing inequalities. With households excluded from broadband, mobile networks and other technologies struggling as a result with remote working and home schooling, it is essential that governments invest urgently in ensuring equitable provision of digital services. At present, only around 19 per cent of the population in the least developed countries have access to the internet.69 In sub-Saharan Africa, while around three quarters of the population in sub-Saharan Africa (747 million people) have a mobile phone, only a third of these (250 million people) have access to a smart phone.70 Yet the digital divide is not only evident at a global level, but also manifesting within cities between more affluent and poorer residents. In New York, for instance, “46 per cent of New York City households living in poverty do not have broadband at home” while “18 per cent of all New York City residents – more than 1.5 million people – have neither home nor mobile connection”.71

Importantly, the digital divide is often reflected in the spatial configuration of urban services and amenities. In one study that analyzed cell phone access in 41 African countries, factors The digital divide is not only evident at a global level, but also manifesting within cities between more affluent and poorer residents

such as distance to a main road and to the nearest city, along with elevation, slope and population, significantly correlated with the proximity to cell phone towers (though it should be noted that this alone does not necessarily translate directly to access as ownership of a phone is still required). Another study in Kenya found that study participants who lived closer to local markets were ”more likely to participate in technology-based market information services“, highlighting the role urban form plays in addressing the digital divide.72

Overcoming the digital divide requires building new infrastructure to support the growing demands of all groups in the wake of the pandemic. While in many developed countries families have faced a shortage of devices to support school-going children along with office-going parents, the developing world lacks access to internet services more broadly. In India, even as telecommunications infrastructure has become increasingly robust and ubiquitous, ensuring public access to high-speed data is an urgent step to connect the hundreds of millions of citizens who still are not online. One solution is setting up free high speed Wi-Fi stations in areas such as bus stops, hospitals and railway stations. India had already had some experience of this model before the pandemic through initiatives such as Google Station, a service that provided free internet access in hundreds of railway stations across the country.73 Though cancelled in early 2020, shortly before lockdown, it highlights the potential for the development of other services in Indian cities that will help improve coverage in the future.

Alongside the necessary infrastructure, the development of digital skills is an important part of building resilience to economic and social shocks like those presented by the COVID-19 outbreak. Digital skills are critical for teachers moving their classes online, youth entering the

High-speed-WiFi stations in Coachella Valley School District, California, to provide access to internet to students © The Economic Times 2020

employment world, parents supporting children in their educations, but also for senior citizens to mitigate isolation brought on by lockdowns and mobility restrictions. At present, however, digital literacy remains a significant additional barrier for certain communities, both in developed and developing markets. In lower-income economies, for example, less than a third (32 per cent) of the population has basic digital skills.74

School closures and pre-existing inequalities have hindered children’s ability to access classes and learning materials — mostly because of lack of access to the internet and to electronic devices like computers — limiting their ability to access education. These gaps in provision are evident even in developed countries, with some 15 per cent of households with schoolaged children lacking access to a high-speed internet connection at home.75 In many regions, COVID-19 has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities that saw large numbers of schoolaged children unable to secure their right to education: in Latin America and the Caribbean, for instance, “even before the pandemic, almost 12 million children and youth were excluded from education, with poverty the main constraint to access”.76

Addressing the digital divide is also essential in the commercial sector. While larger companies and corporations were mostly able to transition to more digitalized operations, this was not always the case for smaller retailers, who provide a key source of employment and economic support in local communities. In Latin America, for instance, small- and mediumsized on-premise business and traditional stores account for more than 95 per cent of outlets.77 Ensuring their access to digital services is crucial, but this should be combined with an awareness that these smaller-scale premises will continue to play an important role in the offline life of cities, too, and will need to be supported with appropriate spatial planning. Zoning laws and policies that promote mixed-use, compact forms and non-motorized transport, as discussed in Chapter 1, will ensure that retailers are in close proximity to residential buildings and are within walking distance.

These inequalities will also have a significant bearing on the future of work, given the growing importance of digitization. Cities will have to find innovative ways to build the necessary skills and knowledge to enable their youth to work in the future economy. This requires extending coverage to unconnected areas, for example, to connect slums, underserviced neighbourhoods and refugee camps to digital marketplaces, alongside remote learning opportunities, upskilling and training programmes, as well as community-driven solutions to crowdfund for settlement and home upgrading initiatives. Some cities, such as Singapore and Seoul, have responded to the pandemic by expanding online and digital tools such as smart phone solutions and technologies, not only for communication, awareness-raising, teleworking and learning, but also to track the disease.78

Young man unlocks bicycle with his mobile phone. Electric bicycle new way city mobility © Shutterstock