Geographies of COVID‐19

Photo credit: Fusion Medical Animation. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019 has precipitated profound social, economic, and political disruptions and, at same time, exacerbating existing geopolitical socio-spatial disparities. In this editorial, we summarise a diverse range works on emergent geographies that have been published Geographical Research are now assembled as virtual special section. Employing several methodologies concepts, expansive body work provides way to engage with from geographical perspectives. As collection, it includes mobilities, governance measures, urban material COVID-19, spatio-temporalities new spaces learning pedagogic practice characterised responses pandemic. David Bissell’s (2021) essay asks series questions about how make sense place during COVID-19. Drawing fascinating by Torsten Hägerstrand (1970), Bissell explores circular micro-mobilities neighbourhood life developing idea looped place, uses Hägerstrand’s visualisations space–time rethink our was formed reformed through between local places. Moving capsular shows freedom (in)mobility operated Mobility often thought together. For example, (or not) be mobile across international borders is connected mediated racialised, classed, other identities. Yet, immobility an ability home stay might operate form also racialised classed. order for us “to still,” he writes, “we require mobility others,” low-income gig-economy workers (p. 155). Bissell, uncertain shifts attention onto inability come terms understand sheer complexity ways which restructured place. Pushing beyond scientific understandings, such those provided epidemiologists public health experts, notion plays out intersections nature culture, rich poor, cultures atmospheres, discursive more-than-discursive. Then pulling together, (neo)geographical returns core objectives geography power utility imagination—namely, geographers well placed Many mobilities discussed were, course, underwritten telecommunications infrastructures access digital technologies. Denham’s discusses radical shift telecommuting one modality working sensibility located Australia’s major cities their regional counterparts, built-form discrepancies exist these cities. By reference counterurbanisation, Denham considers both outmigration enabled different housing densities metropolitan centres, nonmetropolitan areas, peri-urban fringe. Nonmetropolitan areas area, suggests, were appealing height because “housing less dense infection rates lower” 514). backend essay, turns policy implications arising acceleration physical pandemic, poses interesting question: did infrastructure enable expansion or growth some combination two? Considering scope reach student mobility, Sidhu et al. discuss changes narratives affecting Australia, Singapore, New Zealand. practical context analysis strict bordering enforced each country national level—that is, via border controls, levels—that lockdowns. Zealand implemented hard lockdown approach. Australia closed state territory limited non-essential services gatherings. Singapore introduced “circuit breaker” approach, partial lockdowns measures closure workplaces. Digital key case amplified practices used manage populations. Of central concern article need think more carefully trialled either “resurrect what came before pandemic” 313) ordering bodies (singular collective) usher accelerate teaching could advance commercialisation agendas being enacted universities. authors use governing space–times university highlight suite challenges post-COVID world. Two observations follow. first exposed hidden architecture increasingly underwriting contemporary higher education system all three countries. This can extend time space, but potentially undermine mission universities too. second, then, socio-technical environments “reshape subjects education—student experiences, role research, relationships students faculty, academy” 318). find (and old) drive structural education. Expanding picture Praharaj Han (2022) detail complex interactions human spread incidence COVID virus. crowd-sourced data Google map develop novel statistical model initial Indian response. They “mobility patterns related retail recreation grocery pharmacy significantly associated COVID-19” 22). Their research points wider socio-economic dynamics revealed data. highlight, “the coronavirus closely frequency short-distance travel daily needs” 24). Importantly, further evidence geographically sensitive pandemic; better informed analyses virus conditions. A theme emerging papers concerns governance, space. Recio take megacities Global South where, impacts pronounced. analyse effects poor capital cities: Delhi India, Dhaka Bangladesh, Manila Philippines. comparison depiction many North, charactarised high levels government intervention varied support citizens, cross-city experienced important corrective much commentary North. Delhi, Dhaka, Manila, had fend themselves survive, residents returning rural hometowns others relying self-help mutual aid provisions. Considered gender, especially women played provisions, non-government organisations addressing worst vulnerable conclude five interrelated analysis: there inadequate support; people left attempts exposure enforcement unjustly applied populations; therefore, politics invisibility critical out; solidarity-based initiatives emerged dealing poor. Carol Farbotko brings back South, management within islands Pacific nation Tuvalu. Much like examined Chris Gibson colleagues below, Tuvalu island nation’s reliance maritime port “self-reliance,” limits external cargo supplies humanitarian “infected outside world” (Farbotko, 2021, p. 185). Farbotko’s advances themes noted including pandemics connections urban. prospect “transforming interpretation, understanding, experience absence infection” 182). words, happens understanding when does not biologically penetrate border? Her cultural geographic takes its point departure newly constructed road called Road, Tuvalu’s eight islands. integrates sophisticated landscape familial kinship ties they relate governmental response everyday practices. finding emergence rurality spatial construction security state. “outer Tuvalu, long mythologised real heartland, secure, while insecure against risk" space secure safe, argues (2021), state’s “advice urbanites living main Funafuti voluntarily return claim ties" us, her highlights salience articulation shifting dimensions under prompts relations around rurality, isolation, islandness, subsistence, remoteness, customary food security. placing blame (“China virus”) revisiting Cold War alliances (for Taiwan United States; Russia “enemy state”) great competition (Russia, China, States mobilising own forms medical diplomacy stock-piling strategies) opportunities others. 173) Commenting term “great competition,” together underlying biopolitics response, Cole Dodds close calling “critical geopolitics future” would careful scrutiny “legacy “alternative ideas practices" 179). Kearns metaphors shaped particularly Aotearoa refers characterise Zealand's notes geographically-inflected to, broader understandings of, pandemic—for “social distancing” “sheltering place” 324). Metaphors refer levels—vividly symbolised risk “levels” tool messaging; bubbles—together invitation “Kiwis should ‘stay local, bubble’” 327); team—perhaps most vividly embodied social media NZ Prime Minister, then Jacinda Ardern, who, “each evening period … complement earlier formal press conference casual chat home” 328). Centring domestic setting, chats “can read conscious act solidarity Kiwis whose become blurred boundaries work” 327). concludes exploring spatially inflected defining—and reshaping of—a population. McGuirk add thinking considering innovation Unlike examples outlined above governments North given licence—at least some—to experiment four relatively familiar modalities: city networks; collaborative networks led private sector; philanthropy; civic groups. useful review modalities itself. contribution article, purpose articulate analysis, do outlining mechanisms Using Australian studies, consider actors who took centre stage responded “innovative” ways. “experimental mechanisms” mobilised quickly sector set front-line measures. These included various experimentation pilots, demos, trials, tracking involve suspension conventional processes. second “data-driven accelerated spatialised data, data-driven decision making, app-based built into systems. third pertains “crowdsourcing diversify expand capacities, capabilities, approaches “COVID-19 promulgated crowdsourcing leverage collective intelligence resources address immediate pathways recovery,” suggest 192). cautionary remarks if innovations networked processes future. study municipal wave Rio de Janeiro Góis explore similarly moves governance. Focusing February July 2020, enactment emergency designed produce isolation,” early phase “more legal ensure isolation level than federal levels, levels” 33). instruments “there predominance executive power” striking underlies responses—enacted “sought change movement, sociability directly intervening functions spaces” 38). Mirroring Kearns’ description discussion focused scale house, Brazil “framed problem according imaginary deeply intertwined iconic beaches street commercial areas” Operating similar scale, Morgan Tasmania. She opens noting Datu’s (2020) editorial Research, suggests “geographical fundamental power, politics, play individual places communities state” 304). light—and basis conducted systems improvements community wellbeing” 641)—Morgan adopted “have shown capacity responsive, flexible adaptive” 645). More broadly, she proposes prioritisation outcomes priority helped arrangements transcend logics economic efficiency. Read alongside Anderson enrolled into, served reinforce (neo)liberal governing, Morgan’s centrality formulation implementation COVID—and “collaboratively redesigning policies thinking” 647)—provides vivid overlapping culture Brydges changing fashion Working path dependency—a concept deployed “historical underpinning development regions, industries, and/or technologies” 207)—Brydges creation identity supply chain impacted Documenting impact firm-level dynamics, globalised garment production, “acceleration industrial disruption industry” 212). At time—and reflecting global chains generally—they report phases appear “some signs sustainability may growing industry another source competitive advantage” Building theme, turn connective tissue cities; trading zones ports connect goods economies possible manufacturing times crisis, beyond. covers lot ground, shipping moving viruses world temporary closures movement cities, personal protective equipment so Writing largest complex, Port Kembla, just south Sydney, team members analysis. section sudden shocks chains, increased consumption present threat lines themselves. And “Coronavirus spawned additional challenges, logistical commodities tensions 198). future renewed debate manufacturing. disrupted, turned deal shortages, supplies. Retooling amenable industries production process became short-term focus government. biosecuring sites ports’ unique feature interfaces terrestrial Our control infectious diseases, therefore maritime-to-terrestrial junctures regulate people, materials, diseases. precarious exposes landscapes where move threshold affected finally, capacities positive story resilience underwrote somewhat organic peoples’ homes communities. Smith invite place-based sharing Gumbaynggirr based authorship project, “Yandaarra, guided Country” 161), comprises “Aunty Shaa Smith, storyholder Country, daughter Neeyan young woman Elder, non-Gumbaynggirr academics” 161). start introducing Baalijin, mischievous eastern quoll. describe Gumbaynggirr, mid-north coast Wales, Baalijin evokes disruptive energy that, Baalijin’s now, things gone drastically balance walk bridge big change” make, Indigenous knowledge relation specifically. them, “disrupts business usual” “brings clarity dominant unsustainable fails wellbeing Mother Earth” 164). It perspective something diversity experiences remind “Indigenous poverty hit hardest suffer health, safety, livelihoods” 163). citing Lucashenko’s compelling account survival, note always Aboriginal suffering” write evocatively “through heal Country learn belong well” 165). call “uneven distribution futurity” evident temporality emergencies emphasised “focus claims emerge reinforce, racially uneven modern societies” (Anderson al., 623), argue disrupts commonly imagined preparedness. “smooth transition event/disruption–response–post-event conception “distended temporality” bring “sharp relief slow racism, poverty, biodiversity loss, climate change, inflect known governed emergency” 6). Critical unevenness temporality—where anticipation post-pandemic “bounce back” appears repetitive recurring plantation violence durative violent anti-Black anti-Indigenous environments” 7. See also: Mullings, 2021; Thomas, 2016). instances futurity imagination “snap “gas-fired recovery” Australia—further throughout 2020 2021 “co-opted rear-guard action fossil fuel regime help ‘carbon revival’” 11). anti-lockdown protests America, part “panicked White attempt reassert privileges Whiteness forcing open economy” serve reconfigure “emergency apparatuses, recalibrating law, regulations force at-risk populations expose possibility premature death preserve comforts Whiteness” 14). suggesting intensify liberal reveal temporalities violence, settler colonial societies. reflection While technologies significant means ecomonomic redesigned, brought schools homes. Beasy empirical home-schooling parents caregivers responsibility children’s care unable attend school. triple intersection schooling’s swift rupture realities households, Australia. Teaching forced school gates. teachers searched creative families, forged caregivers. Creating classroom meant coordinating online materials reconfigured expectations routines children. Fuller draw links between—on hand—discussions infrastructures, technologies, and—on other—discussions framed two operative distinct scales; restrictions movements campus revenue, entry Australia—as movement—resulted very swiftly. made creating lectures tutorials staff members’ teacher. Reflecting Department Geography Planning Macquarie University, outline interventions. immediately after classes certain consequential challenges—including fieldwork work-based placements. advocacy soon reactionary. moment, later reflected, considered able identify advocate discipline university. defined moment hybridity longer-term began emerge, realisation hybrid here stay, form. Burton engages project “therapeutic wayfinding” 217) Deploying autoethnographic writes caught “simultaneously dangerous COVID-19-pandemic” 217). learning. “autoethnography deepens engagement justice, curiosity empathy,” 222) perennial research—the embodiment, intriguing passage, Goffman’s (1959) distinction front stage—a performative communication Goffman describes symmetry process” “a in-finite cycle concealment, discovery, false revelation, rediscovery” 8). Burton, scrambled interior worlds created orders fact, old backstage my bedroom frontstage life,” distinctions stages—indeed inside outside, private, communal individual—is navigated “technologies webcam microphone” 222). idiom ethnographic journaling mode attending socio-material geographies. former Washington Post President publisher Philip L. Graham credited articulating truism journalism understood rough draft history.” itself, real-time, vantage mindful longer running orderings. Equally clear—and plain depth section—is will profoundly years. writing, changed since proposal concerned COVID. far over, course. agencies “normalising” adopting enshrining biopolitical successive waves Governments investing faith vaccines anti-virals centralised lock-down urging “live with” (Davis, 2022; Lupton, 2022). histories written rewritten. But learned significance telling stories We acknowledge Professor Elaine Stratford, Editor-in-Chief leadership conceptualisation, formulation, compilation thematic generosity reviewed editorial. All errors fact interpretation remain, ours. no conflict interest. N/A.