Is it time to close down cities and go home?
Once equated with progress, cities across the globe are having a hard time, especially in times of a pandemic that spares none. From the high and the mighty to the beggar on the street, no one is immune to the dreaded COVID-19. We have seen the best-laid plans of humans in every walk of life, from healthcare to commerce to governance crumble before the advent of the virus. Take a moment and think of life in a city even during the so-called normal times. With space shortage in every sphere of human activity, people tend to live cheek-by-jowl in small apartment blocks and spend half their life commuting to work over long distances. The office itself, more often than not, is little more than a cubicle despite the glass frontage and other decorations. At the end of the day, you return home, have dinner and crash out on the bed. Circumstance may vary according to your social and economic status. The 'lucky' few may be able to afford a penthouse in a gated community and pretend t