Territorial impacts of Covid-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Programme 2014 - 2020 ESPON 2020

Date of latest update: 2024-05-18

Description

Description (EN):

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented crisis of social, political and economic systems throughout Europe and the world. Since March 2020, European countries, regions and cities have taken diverse measures to try and contain the spread of the virus. These measures, while aiming at easing pressure on the health care systems, have had far-reaching impacts on many sectors of economic activity across the continent. Covid-19 and the sanitary measures taken to contain its spread have various disruptive impacts on people’s lives and on how cities, metropolitan areas and regions function. Containment measures resulted in abrupt changes in the way people work, study, shop, socialise and move around. The outcomes of these measures have been detrimental in many ways, resulting, inter alia, in people losing their jobs or having to make ends meet with a reduced income, being socially isolated, and/or having to balance work and teaching their children at home. But there might also be some gains in the wake of the pandemic. First tentative analyses show that digital transition could be accelerated, as the reinforced provision of digital services may result in long-term innovation[1]. Mobility patterns have changed as well since the lockdown periods. Already before the pandemic, cycling had been given a high priority by local and regional policymakers due to its environmental benefits. The pandemic has additionally boosted this development while passenger numbers in public transport plummeted by 70-90% in some major cities[2], which is also a huge challenge for sustainable transport policies. A growing number of European cities have started to supply their citizens with temporary cycling infrastructure (pop-up cycle paths), providing short-term adaptations to their mobility policies. It remains to be seen, though, if these makeshift measures can be transformed into permanent solutions and how and if they could contribute to the green transition of European regions and cities. Policymakers at all levels of governance require territorial evidence to be able to develop policy measures to cope with the immediate effects of the pandemic in the short-term and to manage its long-term impacts. This applied research activity sets out to contribute to the delivery of such territorial evidence by analysing the geographical patterns of the Covid-19 pandemic from its onset until as far as possible into 2021. In doing so, it will focus on the direct and indirect social consequences of containment measures, including their territorial dimensions, an aspect that has so far not been addressed by pan-European research at the regional and local level.

Achievements (EN):

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused considerable changes in all facets of our daily lives and has caused major shifts in economic and social capital worldwide. Europe was not exempt from such severe disruptions, and the vast majority of European regions and municipalities were severely hit by the pandemic, resulting in high death rates, great disturbances in the labour market, and the reduction of people’s freedoms because of the frequently applied lockdown measures. Furthermore, the impacts of the health crisis were heterogeneously distributed across regions and had significant implications for crisis management and policy response. Examining the spatial diffusion of COVID-19 mortality rates at the subregional level, during the first wave, the virus affected a limited number of EU countries (the highest mortality recorded in Italy and Spain), while hitting the major vibrant centres of Europe and their surrounding areas, such as Madrid (Spain), Paris (France), London (the UK) and Milan (Italy). During the first wave, the most affected regions (e.g. Italy, Lombardia; Spain, Madrid; the UK, London; France, Paris and Val-de-Marne; and Sweden, Stockholms län) are megacities – for instance global nodes (e.g. Paris and London), European engines (e.g. Madrid, Barcelona, Brussels and Milan) and strong MEGAs (e.g. Bilbao and Turin). After the first wave, the virus transitioned from Western to Eastern European countries (e.g. Poland, Mazowiecki, Czechia, Střední Čechy and Moravskoslezsko). However, computing the case fatality ratios showed major territorial disparities in terms of healthcare infrastructure robustness, where French and some Spanish regions have managed to contract the pandemic, Italian and Western regions kept experiencing an upward trend in case fatality ratios. This suggests that the healthcare systems were unable to yield resistance to the virus, or ultimately had reached their tipping points because they had lost their resilience in containing the pandemic during the subsequent waves. Such divergent patterns of territorial impacts are dependent on several local factors, which may explain why some regions were more heavily affected than others. Overall, we can conclude that all European regions and cities were unprepared for a pandemic driven by (i) miscalculating the risk of the initial outbreak in China, (ii) the lack of subnational crisis management plans, and (iii) the relatively fragile healthcare systems, especially in Southern and Eastern European regions. Albeit the negative impacts driven by the pandemic across the European space (such as increasing unemployment, youth unemployment, and at-risk-of-poverty rates), the pandemic has accelerated the deployment of smart measures (e-governance, increasing local authorities’ responsiveness, etc.). Several policies also contributed to weaving strong social bonds between communities and local stakeholders and pushed forward EU environmental agenda and green policy measures (promoting cycling and walking, reducing wastes, and encouraging materials reuse). As an illustration, Ireland has implemented a new policy framework called the '10 Minutes Town Policy’. All essential services are easily accessible alongside to promoting active travel to contain the infection rates and improve the wellbeing of citizens. This policy was originally shaped by the Southern Regional Assembly (Ireland) and because of the effectiveness of the measure it was incorporated into the 'National Sustainable Mobility Plan'. On other scales, as in Paris, the concept of the ‘15-minutes city’ has been implemented. Recently, this concept has also been extended to the ‘30- minutes territory’21. More specifically, the 30-minute territory should allow people to live, work, recreate, access medical care and public services, and enjoy a quality environment. Policies should therefore rethink their offer accordingly to improve the attractiveness of territories and make them more liveable. Although local measures have been taken in all three areas (smart, inclusive and green), we show that particular attention has been paid to inclusiveness. European cities and regions have focused on cushioning the social effects of the pandemic and helping disadvantaged households. Attention to the social issue is crucial in the design of public policies and the crisis in Ukraine reminds us of this. In a war context, the social consequences can be very strong, especially for low-income households. For several months now, the Ukrainian crisis has caused a general increase in the cost of living. This increase is felt most acutely by the socially vulnerable. While the end of the pandemic seems to be in sight, it is highly likely that the indicators we have mobilised in our study (unemployment, youth unemployment, ARoP) will deteriorate further in cities and regions that have already experienced high negative social consequences during the pandemic. Therefore, policies at the local level must continue the social support and assistance provided during the pandemic. We have also shown that multidimensional and multi-scale cooperation (local, regional and national) has been implemented in many European cities and regions. From this point of view, interregional collaboration has been crucial in the fight against the pandemic. For these reasons, in anticipation of future crises, improving the resilience of communities to unforeseen shocks requires strengthening planning that is no longer. Lastly, we want to underline how much the lack of anticipation, strategic foresight (two key exercises in strategic intelligence approaches), and strategic culture (thinking in the long term, considering the fields of possibility, calculating risks, seeking for opportunities) is in itself a vulnerability of territorial entities. A crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic underlines the founding paradox of any strategic intelligence approach: one cannot be ready if one waits for a crisis to be proven or for a hazard to be realised before preparing for it; one can only prepare for a crisis by accepting that it is possible without being certain that it will happen. These paradoxes are very difficult to grasp by territorial entities and their governing bodies, but also difficult to accept by their populations. This, unfortunately, increases their vulnerability to catastrophic risks tenfold, as previously stated (Jeanne, 2009). Therefore, cities and regions must have dedicated territorial intelligence units that can anticipate crises. It requires training people in strategic intelligence techniques. Again, the war in Ukraine reinforces the usefulness and relevance of such skills in local, regional and national authorities.

Website: https://archive.espon.eu/

Expected Results (EN):

The main outcome of this research project is to answer the following key policy questions: - What does the geographical pattern of the Covid-19 pandemic look like across European regions and cities and how has it evolved since the beginning of the pandemic? Are there specific territorial and/or socio-economic characteristics that can entail a higher risk of death/more severe course of disease and/or higher probabilities of negative socio-economic impacts? - Which factors explain best the level of exposure of cities, regions and functional urban areas to the Covid-19 pandemic? How can different exposure levels in different types of territories be explained? - To which degree have poverty, social inequalities and social exclusion been affected by the pandemic and subsequent lockdown measures? Can local wealth conditions, poverty or inequalities explain why territories are more or less affected by the virus diffusion? - Which ‘proactive’ policy approaches to coping with the pandemic during and after the first wave have proved to be working well for European regions and cities? Has it been possible to use “windows of opportunities” opened by the pandemic? - How important has multi-level and cross-sectoral governance been in responding to the pandemic? Have decisions taken by local authorities had an impact beyond their administrative borders? How has the pandemic affected cooperation at the metropolitan/functional regional level? - How can territorial cooperation frameworks, tools and resources for cross–border regions be strengthened in times of crises?

Thematic information

Health and social services Regional planning and development

Specific Objective: Enhanced European territorial evidence production through applied research and analyses

Thematic Objective:

(11) enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration through actions to strengthen the institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administrations and public services related to the implementation of the ERDF, and in support of actions under the ESF to strengthen the institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administration.

Investment Priority: (11 ETC) ETC specific for transnational cooperation: enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration by developing and coordinating macro-regional and sea-basin strategies

Partners (11)

Lead Partner: EM Normandie Business School

Address: 9 rue Claude Bloch, 14000 Caen, France

Legal status: private

ISCTE (Lisbon University Institute)

Name: ISCTE (Lisbon University Institute)

Address: Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal

Legal status: public

Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL)

Name: Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL)

Address: Bezuidenhoutseweg 30, 2594 AV The Hague, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Science Po Toulouse

Name: Science Po Toulouse

Address: 2 TER rue des Puits creusés CS 88526, 31685 Toulouse, France

Legal status: public

Nordregio

Name: Nordregio

Address: Box 1658, SE-111 86 Stockholm, Sweden

Legal status: public

University of Calabria

Name: University of Calabria

Address: Via Pietro Bucci, 87036 Arcavacata, Italy

Legal status: public

HÉTFA Research Institute

Name: HÉTFA Research Institute

Address: Október 6. Str. 19, H-1051 Budapest, Hungary

Legal status: private

Regional Development Institute

Name: Regional Development Institute

Address: 130 Syngrou Avenue, 11745 Athens, Greece

Legal status: public

Alexandru Ioan Cuza University

Name: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University

Address: Bd. Carol I, nr. 11, 700506 Iași, Romania

Legal status: public

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique – CNRS

Name: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique – CNRS

Address: 1 Place Aristide Briand, 92195 Meudon, France

Legal status: public

Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR)

Name: Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR)

Address: 1 Square de Meeûs , 1000 Brussels, Belgium

Legal status: private

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Territorial impacts of Covid-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Partners and Projects info

Territorial impacts of Covid-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Partners and Projects info

Territorial impacts of Covid-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Partners and Projects info

Territorial impacts of Covid-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Partners and Projects info

Nordregio

Territorial impacts of Covid-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Partners and Projects info

University of Calabria

Territorial impacts of Covid-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Partners and Projects info

Territorial impacts of Covid-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Partners and Projects info

Territorial impacts of Covid-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Partners and Projects info

Alexandru Ioan Cuza University

Territorial impacts of Covid-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Partners and Projects info

Territorial impacts of Covid-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Partners and Projects info

Territorial impacts of Covid-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Territorial impacts of Covid-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Project acronym: COVID BIG

Project start date: 2021-05-21

Project end date: 2022-06-30

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 310 000.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 253 488.24

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 253 488.24.

Documents

Documents on this project are listed below, and organised by category. Please note field "Data source", attached to each document. Keep.eu users are free to use these documents as long as they mention the data source and keep.eu.

Videos / films

Territorial impacts of COVID19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-06-29

Languages: en

Studies / surveys

Territorial impacts of COVID-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities (TERRCOV)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-06-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Cross-case Synthesis Report

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-06-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Best practices from 14 case studies

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-06-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Spatial diffusion of COVID-19

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-06-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Methodology

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-06-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Réflexions pour anticiper les chocs futurs et bâtir des politiques territoriales plus résilientes

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-07-31

Languages: fr

Attachment file: Download

City of Amsterdam

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-11-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Athens / Attica region (Greece)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-09-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Barcelona province (Spain)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-09-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Hannover Region / Landkreis (Germany)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-09-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Helsinki municipality and the wider Uusimaa region (Finland)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-09-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Iași county (Romania)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-09-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

La Réunion island (France)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-07-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Lombardy region (Italy)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-09-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Mayotte island (France)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-07-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Terceira Island (Azores Archipelago, Portugal)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-09-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Corsica island (France)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-07-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Elvas county (Portugal)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-07-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Region Skåne and Malmö Municipality (Sweden)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-08-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Veszprém town with county rights (Hungary)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/covid-19

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2022-09-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 ESPON 2020

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2024-03-04

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

68 / 69 (98.55%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

353 / 370 (95.41%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme. Data from 3 projects ((MRS. ESPON TOOL, SoET and CPS 2.0) was retrieved by Interact from the programme´s website on the 2024-03-01. Regarding partners only data only main partners is available. Achievements were retrieved by Interact from the Programme website (http://www.espon.eu), or a website directly linked from it, on 2021-09-21 and 2023-01-03.

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Contact Form

Territorial impacts of Covid-19 and policy answers in European regions and cities

Description

Thematic information

Partners (11)

Partners map

Summary

Documents

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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