Covid-19 and Cities

Pandemic POV: I got back on the bus this week — and it was fine

A longtime public transit rider describes what it was like to use Metro again for the first time in more than a year.

Coming out of the pandemic, how can cities counter 2020’s sharp rise in homicides?

Among 34 large cities studied, homicide rates increased almost 30% last year, compared to 2019. Reasons for the shocking spike relate in large part to the pandemic and its societal impacts, but the killing of George Floyd may have been a contributing factor as well. Evidence-based approaches and committed elected officials will be key to reducing violent crime in American cities going forward.

How to lessen the long-term educational — and economic — consequences of the pandemic

If action isn’t taken now to address and counter the disruptions in the education of students during the COVID-19 pandemic, the damage will be long-lasting and disproportionate. Here are some ways to deal with the impact.

‘Slow streets’ may have been rolled out too fast in Houston

Despite good intentions, the city’s three-month “slow streets” experiment in Eastwood may have been undone by efforts to react quickly to the circumstances of the pandemic. But the lessons learned could improve the initiative going forward.

Urban gardening has taken root, and it’s time for cities to encourage new growth

For many, the pandemic has been a time of self-reflection and reassessing how and why we spend our days doing what we do and the quality of our lives. That includes what we eat and where it comes from, which has led to a renewed interest in urban gardens. How can cities rethink the use of land and shared spaces in ways that promote gardening and help residents reap the rewards?