To understand more about the crisis confronting the urban poor, The New Humanitarian interviewed Robert Muggah, principal of The SecDev Group and co-founder of the Igarapé Institute,

Published in The Humanitarian By Robert Muggah To understand more about the crisis confronting the urban poor, The New Humanitarian interviewed Robert Muggah, principal of The SecDev Group and co-founder of the Igarapé Institute, a think tank focused on urban innovation that has worked with the World Health Organisation to…

As coronavirus gales across the Americas, officials from Mexico to Chile have puzzled over how to keep millions locked down at home

Published in Washington Post By Robert Muggah Hundreds of thousands of people around the world are jailed in crammed cells under unsanitary conditions, fertile ground for the spread of the coronavirus, but many governments have yet to adopt measures that could prevent the pandemic from…

Published in Bloomberg By Robert Muggah At midnight on March 17, Paraguay closed down the Friendship Bridge to Brazil. It was the first time in more than half a century that traffic stopped on the emblematic land link between the two South American neighbors, where…

With COVID-19 infections now evident in 176 countries, the pandemic is the most significant threat to humanity since the second world war. Then, as now, confidence in international cooperation and institutions plumbed new lows.

Published in Financial Times By Robert Muggah With president Jair Bolsonaro dismissing the pandemic as “sniffles” and criticising regional lockdown measures, the country’s drug gangs and paramilitary groups have stepped in to enforce social distancing to combat the spread of coronavirus. “Whoever is caught on…

Far from merely reflecting an unequal distribution of economic means, rising inequality comes with a broad range of additional toxic side effects, many of which the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown into sharp relief. With the pandemic transforming life around the world before our eyes, this is a problem that can no longer be ignored.

Published in Project Syndicate By Robert Muggah The COVID-19 pandemic was not just predictable but inevitable, which makes the skyrocketing economic and human costs of the crisis all the more unacceptable. If the international community does not respond by creating new global structures to deal…

Published in US Today By Robert Muggah A data analysis by USA TODAY finds that, two weeks after the U.S. first entered into community transmission on March 3, America’s trajectory is trending toward Italy’s, where circumstances are dire. U.S. officials are sounding the alarm, urging…

Published in The Chicago Council By Robert Muggah As COVID-19 spreads around the world, non-resident senior fellow on global cities Robert Muggah shares his insights into the spread and impact of pandemics, why they are becoming more common, and how cities can help minimize threats…

Published in World Economic Forum By Robbert Muggah When it comes to infectious disease outbreaks, cities are dual-edged. To be sure, cities are a big part of the problem. They intensify the spread and transmission of infectious disease through increased human contact. Today, roughly 4…

Cities are stepping-up to confront many of the world’s biggest existential challenges – especially climate change. One reason is that cities have always been where the future happens first; spaces that cultivate creativity, resourcefulness and innovation.

All coastal cities are facing sea-level rise, but some will be hit harder than others. Asian cities are in for a particularly rough ride.

The 2019 Pritzker Forum on Global Cities takes place in Chicago June 5 through 7.