Coronavirus and the City: Experts share insights on COVID-19 recovery via U of T School of Cities series

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 26 May 2020 14:27:28 +0000

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 05/26/2020 - 10:27

Cutline

Leilani Farha, a U of T alumna and former United Nations special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, says universities and their researchers will be play a vital role in the COVID-19 recovery process (photo by Eric Piermont/AFP via Getty Images)

Emily Mathieu

Topic

City & Culture

Coronavirus

School of Cities

Alumni

Cities

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty of Medicine

Housing

Psychiatry

Canadian cities are facing a complex recovery in the wake of COVID-19 – and academic institutions like the University of Toronto will be a vital part of that process.

That’s according to a leading expert on housing who recently participated in a unique initiative developed by U of T’s School of Cities called “Coronavirus and the City: One Question.”

“Conversation is key, understanding the beast and engaging diverse thinkers in this conversation is super important,” said Leilani Farha, a U of T alumna who is global director of The Shift, an international movement seeking worldwide recognition of housing as a human right, and a former United Nations special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing. “Universities play a huge role in crafting a body of evidence and knowledge base.”

The weekly series puts one question about COVID-19 to urban leaders from a range of disciplines and posts their written responses. At the first event, public health experts weighed in on the importance of clearly communicating early findings about the disease. Other experts have offered insights on work, transit, housing, neighbourhoods and how cities could emerge as more equitable places to live.

Emily Mathieu

Coronavirus and the City: Experts share insights on COVID-19 recovery via U of T School of Cities series

Read more about Coronavirus and the City: One Question at the School of Cities