London — Reimagination of the way we live in a city
London in lockdown
Walking through Piccadilly Circus, one of the most popular touristic spots in London, it felt unreal that you can hardly see anyone one on the street. Having lived in one of the densest cities in the world, it was definitely a weird experience for its residents. We are so used to the hustle and bustle in the city that we could have never imagined London can be such a tranquil place with no tourists, no commuters, not even many cars running around.
On 23 March, the Prime Minister announced that all UK residents must stay at home under the unprecedented challenge of Coronavirus outbreak. Since then, our lives have changed drastically. People were only allowed to leave their home for basic necessities, exercise and medical need. People lived in a stricter lockdown situation for 6 weeks until early May, when the Prime Minister announced a roadmap to lift the restrictions step by step. People were then encouraged to exercise outside as many times each day as they wish.
Moving into June, children started to return to schools, local public transport slowly resumed, non-essential retail could finally reopen, people are now allowed to meet with friends outdoor. Life seems to go back to normal at a slow pace, yet this quarantine experience might leave a lasting legacy in our life. Three months down in lockdown, people in the UK have sort of getting used to the “new normal”, working from home, wearing face masks in enclosed spaces, keeping social distances, we have all been impacted to a certain extent during this pandemic outbreak. As UK is slowly lifting its lockdown measures and moving on its path to recovery, probably it is the time for Londoners to think about the future direction of the city.
Government responses: Recovery and reinvention
In the light of the unprecedented hit of coronavirus outbreak on its economy, the UK Government announced a coronavirus support package to aid public services, businesses and individuals, including a £330 billion coronavirus business loan package to help businesses to survive.
Other than the economic packages, the UK Government has also launched a £2 billion travel scheme to “put cycling and walking at the heart of our transport policy”. As public transport was forced to operate at 15–20% of its original capacity to control the spread of coronavirus, it will no longer be possible for people to commute with public transport and people will have to consider alternative mode of transportation. Local authorities across the country will be supported to increase provision for cyclists, such as creating protected cycle tracks.
Among the Local Authorities in London, some of them have reallocated road space for surging numbers of cyclists and pedestrians. Hackney Council has widened pavements or even closed streets to support people to walk and cycle more and allow people to observe the social distancing.
Post Covid-19 life: rethinking the way we live
As London is navigating its own path out of the lockdown, we are at the point to rethink the way we have been living in the city. Since public transport is no longer a safe option to travel within the city, can it be an opportunity to consider alternative options? Perhaps a more sustainable mode of travel? A testing ground for the Government and Local Authorities emerged from the pandemic.
Living in a compact city like London, people spend more than an hour on the public transport on a daily basis. People are so used to working in the office despite the fact that most companies offer flexible working options. However, things might change after the pandemic outbreak. With the experience of working from home for 3 months, people have realised the possibility and benefits of working remotely. On the fact that offices are not expecting to return to their normal operation until the end of this year, people will have to continue to work from home. In the future, working from home policy might roll out on a permanent basis to allow flexibility for companies and employees.
Other than that, the pandemic has also changed the way we live in the city profoundly. As longer journey to different parts of the city deemed to be impossible, people started to explore their local area. People started to discover local corner shops, know more about the local community, get to know their neighbours and go to local parks. The way we see our local area and our home became totally different and the appreciation on our local area might remain as we are transiting into a post-quarantine life.
