Abstract:

Cities that are the nodal points of global networks have been hit hardest by The COVID-19 pandemic. Cities are also one of the most significant actors in fighting against the climate crisis, which is similar to the effects of the crisis created by the pandemic and carries even more devastating risks. Therefore, it is crucial for them to implement sustainability policies to increase their resilience against these risks and combat the climate crisis. In implementing sustainability policies, many global networks offer various supports to both global climate-sensitive policies and city governments. In this study, the “urban sustainability and urban resilience” dimensions were discussed on the socio-spatial structure of cities during the pandemic, and inferences were made regarding the resilience and sustainability of the cities according to their sizes during the pandemic process. Cities were selected from five different countries which have different government types and are members of three different global sustainability networks. The study contributes to the the literature by showing whether efficiently applied sustainability policies of a global sustainability membership matter for different-sized cities in increasing their resilience or not. It is found that the sustainability and resilience targets determined by the global urban networks are not applied in the cities participating in these networks, under the risk conditions created by the pandemic. In addition, many member cities do not sufficiently consider the “social dimension” in their sustainability and resilience policies such as health systems. It is surprising to see their insufficiency socio-spatial injustice and vulnerability in disaster periods.

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