This is not the first time that pandemics have shaped the cities we live in. For example, in the 15th Century, Venetians re-purposed an entire island to quarantine plague patients, and the then city-state of Milan erected an entire block dedicated to plague patients. But, for the first time, multiple cities across the world are concurrently adapting to the same challenge – and doing it in different ways that reflect their priorities, values and cultures.