ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed an unprecedented disruption. The quantitative effects on health, economy, travel, social interaction and almost any walk-of-life imaginable are massive. There is no doubt that this is a deep crisis, with profound effects. As we speak estimations and extrapolations of what this means for the future of cities and societies takes on new heights. This paper is not about these ‘big effects’. Rather, it will invite a reflection upon the often taken-for-granted nature of mobilities and the contemporary city. We propose to ‘think with’ Covid-19 as it were in order to utilize it as a catalyst for bringing about more nuanced and deep descriptions of ‘banal’ everyday mobilities practices. For example, the standing in line at the bus-shed, the positioning and seating on the subway, the passing of pedestrians on the pavement, and the mobile negotiation of street spaces. The paper treat Covid-19 as a window into the ‘politics of visibility’. The paper presents two key concepts as tools for enabling this reflection. One is the notion of the ‘extended body’ and the other the ‘elastic situation’. These are exemplified in three short empirical vignettes of public space activities: queuing, running, and drive-in services.

摘要

COVID-19大流行引发了前所未有的破坏。对健康，经济，旅行，社会互动以及几乎可以想象到的任何生活方式的量化影响是巨大的。毫无疑问，这是一场深刻的危机，产生了深远的影响。在我们发言时，对这对城市和社会的未来意味着什么的估计和推断正在达到新的高度。本文与这些“大影响”无关。相反，它将邀请人们对机动性和当代城市通常被认为是理所当然的性质进行反思。我们建议按原样“思考” Covid-19，以便将其用作催化剂，以对“日常”日常出行方式进行更细微和更深入的描述。例如，在公交车棚站成一排，在地铁上定位和就座，在人行道上经过行人，以及街道空间的移动协商。该论文将Covid-19视为通向“可见性政治”的窗口。本文提出了两个关键概念，作为实现这种反思的工具。一个是“扩展体”的概念，另一个是“弹性情况”的概念。这些在公共空间活动的三个简短的经验性例证中得到了体现：排队，运行和驶入服务。