Coronavirus

4 Predictions for Urban Planning Post-Coronavirus
The big question for planners since the outset of the pandemic has been how cities and communities will change, and what role planners will take in implementing those changes. Here are four potential ways for urban planning to respond to the crisis.

Commercial Rental Market Teeters on the Brink
Large numbers of commercial renters in New York City are missing rent, according to reports.

New Coronavirus Hotspots Flaring Up in Rural America
The novel coronavirus is outlasting the narratives of March 2020, and the country will have to reevaluate its assumptions to understand and respond to shifting threats as the public health crisis deepens.

Nursing Homes With Black and Latino Residents Have Much Worse Covid-19 Rates
Age segregation has contributed to the tragic outbreaks of Covid-19 in nursing homes all over the country, but racial data adds another layer of tragic consequences of the pandemic.

Study: 36,000 American Lives Would Have Been Saved if White House Acted One Week Earlier
Research from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health looks at the timing of the imposition of public health control measures, at the start of the pandemic and in the present if infections increase, to project lives saved or lost.

NACTO Releases Pandemic Streets Design Guide
After three months of study and analysis, NACTO is providing authoritative guidance on new ways of thinking about rights of way now that the coronavirus has changed the way we live and work in cities.

Recording the Quiet of Cities During the Pandemic
The usual sounds of the city have subsided, replaced by birds and quiet that at times can be eery and unsettling.

New York's Open Streets Program Leaves Out Neighborhoods That Need Open Space Most
New York City has opened an increasing number of street miles for pedestrians and people on bikes, but far fewer streets have been opened in the neighborhoods that need it most—low income neighborhoods lacking walkable access to parks and open space.

Virgin Trains USA Not Restarting Service Yet
The closely monitored private rail company says it has no plans to reopen in Florida any time soon, even as the state relaxes its stay-at-home orders and intercity rail in other parts of the country prepares to restart.

Edmonton Could Suspend Transit Service for the Summer
As the city of Edmonton waits to hear about funding prospects, Mayor Don Iveson deliberates parking buses over the summer to make up for revenue loss.

Religion in the Pandemic: First Amendment vs. Public Health and Safety
Conflicts between church and state are being decided in state and federal courts as governors act to protect their constituents from the coronavirus while religious institutions and their supporters seek exceptions from social gathering restrictions.

Electric Bike Sales Explode as Cities Rethink Streetscapes
North America has experienced a 5% jump in rates of cycling since the U.S. started staying home. As electric bikes enjoy impressive sales increases, cities around the world consider making the shift permanent by planning bike-friendly infrastructure.

Adapting Public Engagement to Social Distancing
TransitCenter published a new report on the emerging practices of public engagement at a time when large gatherings have been prohibited.

Fatal Collisions Increase Per Vehicle Miles Traveled During Pandemic
Data from the National Safety Council show the first evidence that with fewer cars on the road during the pandemic, fatal collisions have actually been more common for every mile driven.

2020 ParkScore Ranks Minneapolis at the Top
The need for access to parks and open space has never been as obvious, or as pressing.

Subway Ridership Starting to Rise in New York City, but not as Quickly as Car Trips
A noticeable increase in subway ridership has been taking place on subway trains in New York City, but not enough to call it a comeback, yet.

2020's Hot Transportation Trend: The Bike
A prominent consequence of the stay-at-home orders and social distancing of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States has been a dramatic surge in the popularity of bike transportation.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduced 17% Worldwide in April, Study Says
A recently published study predicts a 4 to 7 percent decline in greenhouse gas emissions for 2020 compared to 2019.

Uncertain Futures for U.S. Restaurants Raise Larger Concerns About City Vitality
In many American cities, restaurants are beacons of economic revitalization and social vibrancy. Calculations are still being made to determine the toll taken on the nation's eateries, and in turn, the urban economies they serve.

U.S. Homelessness Could Jump 45%, Study Says
Unemployment of historically devastating proportions will force people out of their homes and onto the streets, according to a new study by an economist at Columbia University in New York.
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