Keep calm and carry on: This seems to be the reigning mantra during the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) times. Though it’s advisable not to panic, playing down safety concerns can hamper people’s response to the threat of the virus and aggravate the crisis.

The recent upward trend in COVID-19 cases in many cities, including Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad, among others, has underlined the need for strict adherence to precautionary measures to limit further transmission of the disease.

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With the world waking up to climate emergency, most countries are looking at controlling emissions, including a reduction in Greenhouse Gases (GHG). Most mitigation measures take the command and control approach that relies on use of standards to achieve a change in emissions. These measures often take the form of environmental standards (such as National Standards for Effluents and Emission), and performance standards (such as Standards & Labeling Programme).

To a layperson, the concept of 'design' is mostly limited to the visual and functional aspects of a product, with the former often taking precedence over the latter. When talking about the design of a product, we generally refer to how it looks, and sometimes, to how it functions. Naturally then, we understand 'design thinking' to be associated with the thinking that goes into the designing of a product. While this is true, it does not bring out the complete meaning of design thinking or its application potential.

Every epidemic leaves a distinct mark on our cities. Compact cities — with high-rise, high-density settlements — have been urban planners' solution of choice to accommodate the constant influx of population. The current contact-spread pandemic, however, has challenged the status quo. Our cities are at a great risk, despite their proclaimed resilience. India's densely populated cities do not allow proper physical distancing.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which proposes strategies to reduce air pollution. The NCAP identifies 122 non-attainment Indian cities [cities that violate the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)]. Muzaffarpur is one of the 20 most polluted cities in the world (WHO, 2019) in terms of particulate matters (PM) and has also been identified as one of the non-attainment cities under NCAP.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which proposes strategies to reduce air pollution. The NCAP identifies 122 non-attainment Indian cities [cities that violate the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)]. Gaya—one of the five most polluted cities in the world, in terms of particulate matter (PM) (WHO, 2018) — has also been identified as one of the non-attainment cities under NCAP.