• Investing in a city health district during the pandemic

    Memphis, Tennessee, shows the benefits of having community investment and social infrastructure, supported by philanthropy and institutions, in place during a pandemic.
    During Covid-19, the Memphis Medical District Collaborative (MMDC) has worked to keep local businesses afloat while pursuing its long-term goals of revitalization of an underserved community. The collaborative’s 2020 activities have included a Small Business Emergency Assistant Fund, streetscape...Read more

  • Thoughts about urbanism and architecture in the face of COVID-19

    The pandemic may have long-lasting design impacts, but we still need sociable and walkable places.
    At some point we will re-emerge from our quarantines—even those of us that take seriously the threat of this virus. Tentatively at first, we will increasingly find ourselves in public or semi-public spaces. If and when treatments and vaccines come on-line, we will become less fearful of elevators...Read more

  • After the pandemic, human nature will keep cities alive

    Sprawl may surge for a time if we ignore the fundamental needs of human habitat.
    Commentators in the newspapers and social media are predicting Americans will return to auto-oriented suburbia after the frightening experience of the COVID-19 pandemic—that low density suburbs will increase in popularity by offering a sanitary separation from other people that denser, walkable...Read more

  • Cities converting streets to public space in coronavirus crisis

    Underutilzed streets with little traffic are being transformed with temporary pedestrian and bicycle thoroughfares, shared streets, bikeways, expanded sidewalks, and outdoor eating to give citizens more room in a time of social distancing.
    Thousands of miles of city streets worldwide, and more than 500 miles in the US, are being converted for pedestrian and bicycling activity during the coronavirus crisis, according to research by Street Plans Collaborative. The firm headed by Tony Garcia and Mike Lydon, leaders in Tactical Urbanism...Read more