COVID-19, city centre streetscapes, and public health signage

ABSTRACT In this paper, we reflect on the changes to cityscapes during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We focus specifically on the relationships between COVID-19 communication, which took place via advertisements and messages located in urban spaces, and contemporary neoliberal politics. Particular attention is given to on-street official government public health communications and their visual impacts and wider socio-economic implications, exemplified through the lens of Belfast, Northern Ireland. We reflect on, first the transitions from pre-pandemic to pandemic streetscape signage and messages, secondly ephemerality in streetscapes under COVID-19 conditions, thirdly the rapidity of change in COVID-19 related public health signage and messages and finally structural constraints of COVID-19 related public health signage. This messaging has also made visible government responses to the pandemic and revealed official (re)emergent concerns (or lack of) for people’s health and well-being.