2.7. Conclusion

Pre-existing inequalities and discrimination in the universal realization of human rights greatly decreased the resilience of cities

countries with strong social protection systems and basic services suffered the least and recovered the fastest

This chapter showed how pre-existing inequalities and discrimination in the universal realization of human rights greatly decreased the resilience of cities. In cities with informal settlements with poor living conditions and overcrowding, public health measures such as handwashing and social distancing are incredibly challenging to implement. The pandemic has underscored, in the starkest way possible, inequalities in public services, social protection and health systems. The socioeconomic and health impacts of the pandemic have disproportionately affected marginalized groups such as minorities, migrants, slum residents and informal workers — particularly women — who already live and work in precarious conditions. The pandemic has accelerated digitalization of work and learning, further reducing social mobility and life chances for youth and children who find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide. New forms of vulnerabilities are emerging in communities that are spatially disadvantaged, threatening to further widen the chasm in group-based and income inequalities for generations to come.

At the same time, COVID-19 is a historical opportunity for fast tracking the realization of human rights such as the right to health, water, food, housing and social security. Despite preexisting challenges, cities and communities have responded with agility to the pandemic in a spirit of solidarity, defying borders and institutional complexities. Examples of inspiring actions include handwashing stations in slums, nationwide moratoria on evictions, repurposing urban spaces to shelter the homeless, financial and food support for the poor and jobless and tailored responses for the diverse needs of women, elderly and people with disabilities. Although the issues being addressed are not unfamiliar, some new precedents have been set in how emergency actions can be taken to support the right to an adequate standard of living and the right to social security. This demonstrates that targeted support can deliver fast results and many of the solutions are costeffective with great scope for being scaled up. There is no reason for going back and many successful solutions should be integrated into the “new normal” in the future of cities.

Despite a message of solidarity from global crises such as pandemics and climate change, that we are all inter-connected and must act together as one, the danger now is that once lockdowns are lifted, cities could suspend their social protection functions. Many of the good practices emerging in cities are temporary in nature and longer-term strategies are needed for socio-economic recovery based on principles of equity. This is why it is critically important for cities to pledge to a new social contract founded on shared prosperity and human rights. While decentralized solutions for water and sanitation can solve access issues temporarily, a larger systematic response is needed to decongest overcrowded settlements and improve habitability. Improving living conditions in cities is thus a larger question of how space itself is allocated between the rich and the poor and calls for redistributive measures towards a fairer and more just sharing of the collective resources and services of the city. This requires a fundamental restructuring of land and housing markets and urban finance.

In the medium term, the right to adequate housing as part of the right to adequate standards of living is a clear entry point for cities. While targeted place-based solutions should be an immediate focus for cities, in the long run a fundamental restructuring of markets and social protection systems is required. The ability to secure basic needs should be sustained in situations of both normalcy and emergency. This is impossible if there is an affordability crisis in the city or if individual socio-economic situations are so poor that large populations are priced out of the formal market. As demonstrated during the 2008 financial crisis, countries with strong social protection systems and basic services suffered the least and recovered the fastest. While further research on universal social protection systems is needed, there is a growing consensus