Urban Edge

Insights, perspectives and stories about building better cities and better lives

Staying at home may have saved 4,533 lives in Harris County so far

The number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States is nearing 10,000 and there are close to 340,000 reported cases.

How do we safely reopen cities after the coronavirus pandemic? We have to prepare now.

No, COVID-19 will not be the end of cities. But it will take time, effort and preparation to safely return them to “normal” as soon as possible, says urban studies theorist Richard Florida.

Coronavirus puts those living in flood-damaged homes at greater risk

Many families in the Houston region live in homes with flood damage, of which they may or may not be aware. These residents may face high levels of mold exposure that can lead to lung damage that puts them at a greater risk of severe complications should they become infected with the novel coronavirus.

How the COVID-19 pandemic will change our cities

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has forever changed the world and life as we know it. Once the current pandemic is over, it will also change our approach to where we work, how we get there and more.

Here’s what our cities will look like after the coronavirus pandemic

Editor’s note: This is the first of two posts exploring the long-term effects the COVID-19 crisis will have on the American city. Once we get through this, cities as we know them will be changed forever.

During the pandemic, we can keep our distance while looking after one another

As a stay-at-home order takes effect for residents of Houston and Harris County, the importance of social solidarity and working together for the common good become even more crucial to protecting our most vulnerable neighbors.

Suspending evictions is the right move for Census 2020

Thursday, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Texas Supreme Court halted eviction proceedings until April 19. This is the right call. With an average of 600 evictions per week in Harris County, suspending evictions will prevent thousands of people from losing their homes over the next month.

Cities and coronavirus: Some thoughts

The Coronavirus pandemic is already worse in several American states than anywhere in China outside Hubei Province. The pandemic is all about geography, and we need to do more to pinpoint hotspots and contagion. The very thing that makes cities special–their ability to bring people together–is their kryptonite in the Coronavirus pandemic.

Report: Texas moves to No. 39 on list of most aggressive states in combating COVID-19 (update)

The state, which ranks 31st in population density, has moved up to No. 38 in tested cases of COVID-19 per capita — it was previously last. It remains 48th in total public health emergency preparedness funding per capita.

To slow the coronavirus in Houston, we should ‘hunker down’ and hope for a controlled crash landing

An infectious disease expert from Rice University talks about the good, the bad and the future effects of our response to the coronavirus pandemic.