Public Health

The Great Scandinavian Pandemic Experiment
Perhaps no nation has captured more media attention in its handling of the coronavirus pandemic than Sweden. Unlike most of Europe, it never went into lockdown, relying mostly on voluntary social distancing. The state epidemiologist devised the plan.

Crisis Could Result in a More Sustainable Food System
The food system, from supply to distribution and consumption, is undergoing a rapid transformation. Community supported agriculture could potentially benefit.

Can the Scooter Business Outlast the Coronavirus?
It's the end of the scooter as we know it.

Vehicles Restrictions for COVID-19 Made Permanent for Seattle Streets
The temporary measures of the coronavirus pandemic are being made permanent fixtures on 20 miles of streets in Seattle.

After the Plague: Go Big or Go Backwards?
Among unwelcome lessons of COVID-19 is growing evidence of what was already broken in politics and business. Ben Brown looks at making bold changes in order to improve the lives of the left out and left behind.

White House Shelves Reopening Guidelines Prepared by CDC
President Trump wants states to reopen businesses quickly but doesn't want to have the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide directions to business owners and transit agencies on how to open without spreading the coronavirus.

Reopening Main Street
A Long Beach-based urban design firm shares design tips for reopening main streets while balancing public health and economic concerns—making space for parklets, pedestrians, and al fresco dining.

Task Force Would Ensure Social Justice in COVID-19 Response in Pittsburgh
If approved by the Pittsbugh City Council, the proposed Greater Pittsburgh Covid-19 Racial Equity Task Force would work toward more equitable distribution of economic and public health resources, during the coronavirus pandemic and after.

Street Vendors Rally for Rent Cancelation in Los Angeles
Street vendors gathered in front of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works in a May Day action to their make demands heard.

The Four Horsemen of the 'Fiscal' Apocalypse
Rick Cole identifies the Four Horsemen of the 'Fiscal' Apocalypse: Cratering Revenue, Neglected Infrastructure, Pension Debt, and Community Need, as heralds ushering the reinvention of city services to meet the needs of today’s urban realities.

Poll: One-Third of Americans Thinking of Moving to Less Densely Populated Areas
In the midst of the pandemic, Americans are expressing a new preference for less crowded spaces, according to the results of a Harris Poll conducted last week.

Report: Expect to Live with Two More Years of Social Distancing
As a majority of states relax stay-at-home restrictions, a prestigious team of experts from the University of Minnesota, Harvard and Tulane universities warns that the coronavirus will likely last 18 to 24 more months, returning in successive waves.

Urbanism Pays the Price for High COVID Death Toll in New York and New Jersey
Opponents of dense housing and public transit have seized on the disproportionate death toll originating from the epicenter of the nation's coronavirus outbreak. Is it time for the leaders of New York and New Jersey to admit they acted late?

COVID-19 and Big, Dense Cities That Aren't New York
As in metropolitan New York, big, dense cities don't always suffer from coronavirus to a greater extent than their car-oriented suburbs.

States to Train Public Health Armies to Move Beyond Mitigation to Containment
As some governors open nonessential businesses, subjecting workers and customers to potential viral infection, others move beyond social distancing to the next steps, boxing in the coronavirus with testing, contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine.

Coronavirus Spreading to the White, Trump-Voting Suburbs
The spread of coronavirus doesn't fit a tidy demographic narrative, according to new analysis by William Frey.

Late Action, Local Opposition Frustrate Emergency Homeless Shelter Plans
Some progress, but not nearly enough, has been reported as California and its cities scramble to procure temporary shelters to house homeless people during the pandemic.

A Canary in the Coal Mine for All Cities? Santa Monica City Manager Steps Down
Rick Cole discusses the existential challenges cities must grapple to be a leading city in the 21st century, Santa Monica's achievements during his five years as city manager, and the sacrifices that will be made as the city endures COVID-19.

'Glaring' Racial Disparities Revealed in Louisiana COVID-19 Data
New data from the Louisiana Department of Health provide the most detailed look at the disparate impacts of the coronavirus across racial lines.

State and Local Border Restrictions Draw Legal Scrutiny
Some call restrictions at state and county borders necessary to protect the public health of communities. Others call them unconstitutional.
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