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Good answers to questions posed by the pandemic TEXT
Imke Borchers and Miriam Holzapfel
The old hypothesis that every crisis brings opportunities has rarely been truer than today: across our planet, people are rising to the challenges of Covid-19 – with inge nuity, pragmatism and fresh ideas. This applies to innovations in our work and home life, to developments in the public domain, and to our personal growth. Some innovations will soon be forgotten when events or the zeitgeist change. But other ideas may well outlast the pandemic. The self-sufficient city Urban planners are responding to the pandemic in their own ways. The Barcelona-based firm Guallart Architects won a competition to design the new city of Xiong’an near the Chinese capital of Beijing – as a self-sufficient entity based on a biocycle economy. President Xi hopes it will become the new standard for the post-Covid era. In addition to residential units, the proposed design also foresees shared co-working spaces. These will come equipped with 3D printers which can be deployed to produce spare parts or components delayed in supply chains. Greenhouses and vegetable beds will provide sufficient fresh foodstuffs, while power will be generated by roof-mounted solar panels. The roads are to be reserved for pedestrians and cyclists. What is more, the city’s residents will be continuously connected via a 5G network, enabling them to share information about potential quarantines, infections and other developments. guallart.com Face to face “I’ve reinvented myself several times during my lifetime. Like when I moved to Hamburg 20 years ago to learn acting. Before that, I had studied psychology for a couple of years. Or when I suddenly found myself managing a cookhouse and organizing interdisciplinary art events. So maybe it’s no real surprise that now I’m reorienting again and training to be a systemic coach. The Corona crisis made this decision more urgent. When the pandemic began, my acting gigs disappeared. During the weeks of lockdown, I realized that I didn’t only want to communicate with people from
a screen. I wanted to engage with them directly, eye to eye. I also came to appreciate how transient everything is. Coronavirus changed the world overnight. So why wait, why keep postponing your most exciting ideas? I’m asking myself the selfsame questions at the moment, as I make plans for a hiking vacation in Bavaria with my seven-year-old son. It will be just the two of us. I couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t bear looking back and thinking: I really wish I had done that back then.” Elke Jochmann, actress Reported by: Carola Hoffmeister Committed to protecting the environment “I doubt I would have given up my job as an IT specialist, at least of my own volition. I’ve been with Boeing for more than 19 years, first in Brussels, now in Madrid. I’m in my mid-50s with a family, so I have a stronger need for security. But after the initial shock of losing my job through the pandemic, I realized it was also a huge opportunity. Work was no longer really a challenge, especially during the past few years. Now I can’t help but ask myself the ultimate question. What else do I want to do with my life? How should I be using the time left to me? I have always wanted to do something with the cultural impressions I’ve gained traveling and living with Native Americans – to create something that would benefit others. To build my legacy to the world. I might start working for an NGO and devote my energies to protecting the environment. Or pick up on what I learned during my MBA studies and use my language skills somewhere. How many people speak five languages fluently, as I do? The options sometimes make my head spin. Then again, I’ve always been an optimist and I’m looking forward to pursuing something new!” Dieter Herrmann, IT specialist Reported by: Carola Hoffmeister Top styling on top Sisters Vicky and Nikoleta Lirantonakis from Boston, Massachusetts, usually run a clothing- rental business. But when the lockdown descended, eveningwear became redundant overnight. Nowadays, people are more likely to
