Description :

The way we plan and build our cities defines our quality of life. It affects not only the quality of our living spaces and transport, but also the air we breathe, the water we drink, and our access to nutritious food, education, health care services and employment. The planning of cities have always played a vital role in the disease transmission India is urbanizing at a rapid pace and with the ongoing pandemic cities need to fight challenges on multiple fronts like contact tracing in slums where social distancing is difficult, proper waste management to break the chain of transmission, proximity to essential services in Tier-3 cities, and addressing the abysmal WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) situation in the cities. These challenges have made us rethink as to how cities should be built and, perhaps more importantly, how they can better respond to current and future crises. The overall objective is to fulfill the collective vision of healthy, safe, inclusive, equitable cities for all. Session Chair/Moderator: Mr Kunal Kumar, Mission Director, Smart Cities Mission, MoHUA, India Presenter 1: Dr Marcus Grant, WHO- UNHABITAT Consultant and Lead Author for the Sourcebook Presenter 2: Ms Preeti Pant, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (TBC), India Presenter 3: Ms Nathalie Roebbel, Coordinator, Public Health and Environment, WHO Geneva Presenter 4: Mr Herman Jean Pienaar, Lead - Urban Lab, Planning, Finance & Economy Section, UN-Habitat