The impacts of density on the COVID-19 pandemic are currently the center of attention in public opinion, policy decisions, and planning practice. The concerns and assumptions surrounding density challenge the foundation of modern cities and have immediate implications for transportation expenditures, urban redevelopment, tax policy, congestion pricing, smart growth, and affordable housing. However, a recent study titled “Does Density Aggravate the COVID-19 Pandemic” suggests quite the opposite. The authors found that density is not linked to rates of COVID-19 infections and that COVID-19 death rates are lower in denser countries and higher in less dense ones. In this webinar, we will discuss the study’s findings on density and COVID-19 and their implications for transportation, urban planning, and more.
Speakers:
Shima Hamidi, Bloomberg Assistant Professor of American Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Reid Ewing, Professor of City and Metropolitan Planning, University of Utah
Sadegh Sabouri, Ph.D. Research Assistant, University of Utah
Robert Puentes, President and CEO, Eno Center for Transportation