Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Global Flows of People and Goods: Implications on the Dynamics of Urban Systems

Karim Gazzeh, Ismaila Rimi Abubakar and Emad Hammad
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Karim Gazzeh: College of Architecture and Planning, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31451, Saudi Arabia
Ismaila Rimi Abubakar: College of Architecture and Planning, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31451, Saudi Arabia
Emad Hammad: Department of Interior Architecture, College of Architecture and Planning, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31451, Saudi Arabia

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 3, 1-18

Abstract: The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted the flows or spatial mobility of people, goods, and services globally. The present study explored the impact of the pandemic on the global flows of people and goods, and the implications on the dynamics of urban systems. The study utilized desktop research methodology to collect relevant literature and secondary data, which were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. The study found that the restrictive measures imposed during the pandemic severely disrupted the global flows of people and goods. As a result, global movements of people declined by over 40% in 2020 from the 2019 levels. Similarly, the global flows of goods shrunk by at least 10% within the same period. These lockdown-related disruptions have significant implications on how socioeconomic activities are organized and conducted within and between cities, with civil aviation and hospitality sectors the hardest hit. The study concludes that there is a need for resilient urban systems in which cities, people, institutions, and firms can effectively adapt to the impact of the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; flows of goods; civil aviation; maritime transportation; population movement; global mobility; tourism; urban systems; air travels; resilient cities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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