COVID-19 has changed the face of cities and recast urban life globally. In turn, cities have become the major theatres of the crisis for a once-in-a-century test to global resilience. Global health governance has thus far struggled to face up to the urban character of the pandemic. The United Nations Secretary General recently called for a better appreciation of how COVID-19 is unfolding in ‘an urban world’ if we are to rebuild more sustainably. The authors of this comment piece argue it is imperative to do so by attending to urban inequalities that underpin the crisis, and by understanding the fundamental inclusive development opportunity at play here if we allow urban expertise, and cities, closer to the heart of the global response.
