Public health in times of crisis: An overlooked variable in city management theories?

The volume of research that associates the theme of city management with crises resulting from emerging infectious disease is modest, even after the occurrences of Ebola and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Similarly, the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has thus far contributed only modestly to the expansion of attention to people’s health, through city management, in times of crisis. This study, by means of a systematic literature review, analyzes the gap in research on urban theory on how epidemics are confronted. The term “cities” had 2,440,607 articles published and were identified 665 that presents the combination of the term “pandemic”. After the development of content analysis were identified 11 articles prior to 2019 and 10 articles published between January and June 2020, adhering to the objective of this investigation. Prior to 2019 studies addressed topics related to the construction of an urban structure aimed at reducing people's vulnerability to infectious diseases, starting in 2020, the focus of researchers' attention is on the use of information and communication technologies used as tools for prevention and control. Theories of the management of cities indicate the need to extrapolate the urban perimeter, incorporating the relations of dependence in cities with the other actors within the surroundings, especially in times of crisis. Studies have emphasized that cities are not isolated islands; rather, they are parts of a complex system with multiple exchanges. This thematic field of study enhances research that presents urban planning solutions by using data-driven management to consider conduct, parameters, and protocols relating to public health in moments of crisis.