Staying home: The New York Times looks at where Americans didn’t stay home as the novel coronavirus spread ($).
Pandemic lessons: Cities that took the 1918 Spanish Flu seriously with social distancing had radically different outcomes, including economic recovery ($).
Reject austerity, priortize people: Ron Sims that state government cannot let the pandemic result in a brutal economic crisis.
Faster transit projects: James Brasuell of Planetizen says that cities should take advantage of the lower traffic from the coronavirus epidemic to expedite transit construction projects. Los Angeles appears to be doing just that.
End tax sales: One way that local governments can keep people housed during the pandemic is ending tax sales of property.
Avoid catastrophe: Katie Wilson says that coronavirus could mean catastrophe for public transit.
Airbnb worries: Will Airbnb be able to survive the global pandemic?
Neoclassical missed: Georgetown University had once considered construction of a neoclassical bus station.
KC is third: Gene Balk reports that King County the third-largest population growth over the past decade in the country ($).
Solvable problem: Drive-through coronavirus testing is still not widespread due to testing capacity failures.
Slowing the curve?: Hospitalization data in Washington may suggest that social distancing may be working to control spread ($) of the novel coronavirus.
Plummeting ridership: Most transit agencies have seen ridership fall consistently 70% or more ($).
Controlled spread: Why have Asian countries been more effective at controlling the pandemic?
Don’t speed: As the pandemic creates empty streets, some drivers are increasingly speeding.
Childcare in a pandemic: What does emergency childcare look like amid a global pandemic for essential workers?
Lowered displacement: A report from Washington, D.C. suggests that rent controlled apartments may slow displacement for people of color.
Changing spaces: How is the novel coronavirus changing Italy’s public spaces?
Reckless austerity: In passing budgets, Washington Governor Jay Inslee has slashed hundreds of millions of dollars in critical public services and programs ($) in fear that the novel coronavirus will stress state budgets.
The epidemic spread: What is the geography of the novel coronavirus?
Rent strike?: What is the problem with a coronavirus rent strike? But leaders are trying to ease the rent pain for people falling through the economic cracks.
VA rail authority: A new rail authority in Virginia could revolutionize passenger rail.
Stephen is a professional urban planner in Puget Sound with a passion for sustainable, livable, and diverse cities. He is especially interested in how policies, regulations, and programs can promote positive outcomes for communities. With stints in great cities like Bellingham and Cork, Stephen currently lives in Seattle. He primarily covers land use and transportation issues and has been with The Urbanist since 2014.