An online seminar and roundtable discussion featuring Anna-Louise Milne (ULIP),  AbdouMaliq T Simone (The University of Sheffield) and Alan Latham (UCL). The event is co-sponsored by the Institute of Historical Sciences (IHSS) and The City Centre. It will be chaired by Simon Reid-Henry (QMUL).

Thursday 14^th May, 4pm.  Register here (and a link to the event will be sent to you)   

Overview: Cities exist to bring people together; one of their greatest attributes is the economies of scale they bring about through the proximity of persons with social infrastructure. In the time of COVID-19 the very things that serve as a city’s strength have becomes its weakness, and a source of urban citizens’ vulnerability. In this online seminar, Anna-Louise Milne, AbdouMaliq Simone, and Alan Latham will discuss their respective take on how COVID-19 is challenging urban life. How are norms around publicness, community, caring and neighbourliness being transformed, either for better or worse? How does the urban fabric, with its multiple spaces and forms of sociality, provide resources for thinking about togetherness and separation in the context of a global pandemic? How might urban and municipal planners best respond to the current crisis in ways that enhance and protect the social life of the city? What are the challenges confronting different cities around the world?