COVID-19, Gated Communities, and Urban Resilience: A Comparative Analysis Between China and Colombia

Based on a comparative analysis of gated communities in Shanghai, China and in Bogotá, Colombia, this chapter investigates weaknesses and patterns of urban resilience against the current COVID-19 outbreak, arising from the functional and spatial organization of these residential settlements. The study benefits from an extensive literature review of urban resilience enhancement and enclosed compound types, and is based on the empirical analysis of nine case studies for each city to highlight differences and commonalities under the typo-morphological perspective concerning the containment norms implemented by the institutions in the two contexts, as well as to the provision and quality of outdoor space and facilities which strengthen the settlements’ resilience. The results of the study add value to the existing literature on urban morphology and urban resilience and highlight the need for a holistic context-specific approach for an adaptive urban design that can tackle acute shocks like the current pandemic, but also, as time passes without definitive solutions, possible chronic distresses. The conclusions highlight urban form as one of the methods of enhancing a city’s resilience.