COVID-19 Pandemic: Between Public Space and Users’ Behaviours. Case studies from Egypt, Jordan, and Germany

The current COVID-19 pandemic, which started in China in early 2020 and rapidly spread all over the world, has a considerable impact on people’s daily lives in all its aspects, be it economic, social, and built environment. Countries have implemented different actions and set out various regulations to limit and slow down the outbreak of COVID-19. These governmental regulations ranged between semi and full lockdown as well a curfew was implemented depending on various factors; such as time and the severity of the situation. People have responded differently to those regulations depending on the measures themselves, and their culture. Nonetheless, those governmental regulations have undoubtedly affected public life and public space, residents started reclaiming their public spaces, and they have realized its importance. Some governments responded to their citizens’ behavior, which led to a better public life in the spaces, while in other cases residents have shown a level of awareness and belonging towards public space that encouraged them to initiate movements and campaigns to reclaim their space. This comparative analysis study investigates those different cases in New Cairo, Mansoura, and Hurghada in Egypt, Amman in Jordan, and Berlin in Germany and highlights the relation between the governments’ regulations regarding public space and citizens’ behavior in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. It shows the importance of understanding the behaviors of the citizens by governments to respond accordingly.