• Good news on the pandemic: State of Coronavirus in America

    Cases are down in the face of a big increase in testing. Mortality is also declining. These trends hold in the states that reopened early—as well as in the nation as a whole.
    This past week has brought excellent news to report in the sixth State of Coronavirus in America (SoCA). Newly identified COVID-19 cases are down nationwide by 16 percent in the 7-day period ending May 13, in the face of another big jump in testing. Mortality is down even more—18 percent—in the...Read more

  • Testing rises: State of Coronavirus in America

    In the fifth State of Coronavirus in America report, the most encouraging trends are a dramatic rise in testing and declining mortality. But as cases rise in many states, the nation is far from out of the woods.
    As nearly 20 states moved into phase 1 of reopening their economies, testing for coronavirus soared across America, up 71 percent nationwide week over week. Meanwhile, mortalities trended down while the number of confirmed cases in the recent seven-day period rose 3 percent. As testing ramped up (...Read more

  • Cities don't increase virus risk

    An analysis indicates that cases of COVID-19 are more related to what metro area you live in, rather than whether you live in the central city or a suburb. Transit also doesn’t correlate as a significant factor.
    More than a month ago, I wrote that the “ facts don’t support the density is dangerous narrative ” that was spreading in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. In mid-March, many articles speculated that the current crisis will lead to a new wave of suburban development as people flee cities. The...Read more

  • Planning for life in cities after the pandemic

    Here's how we can help our clients and communities transition to planning in the post-pandemic world.
    We’ve been here before. In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, heavy clouds hang over words like “density” and “urban.” These same clouds took shape in the aftermath of 9/11, when influential articles like a Blueprint for a Better City ( Wired , December 1, 2001) proclaimed “Density Kills,” and...Read more