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Box 1.8: The potential benefits of well-planned density for cities responding to COVID-19
Box 1.8: The potential benefits of wellplanned density for cities responding to COVID-19
• Well-planned, dense cities often have better economic performance and more resources for an emergency response. The correlation between density and prosperity of cities is well documented.53
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• Well-planned population densities support better delivery of health and other essential services, as well as a greater concentration of specialist care and amenities such as hospitals.
• Well-planned, dense settings have stronger experience with collective and organized living and thus have been much more able to adjust to preventive restrictions.
• Well-planned density allows for economies of scale and supports the provision of adequate and affordable basic services for all. The evidence therefore suggests that the density of cities has not been the decisive factor in increased infection or mortality rates of COVID-19. Rather, access to services, demographics, pre-existing health conditions, social infrastructure and timely response measures determined the scale and impact of the pandemic. Indeed, when supported by good design and adequate service provision, density can enable connectedness and emergency response. For example, through observing the different measures deployed within cities, it is clear that well-designed density aids in mobilizing emergency support, including medical, food and basic services to vulnerable families and the delivery of homebased care during lockdowns that become more manageable at a particular scale.
Density of cities has not been the decisive factor in increased infection or mortality rates of COVID-19. Rather, access to services, demographics, pre-existing health conditions, social infrastructure and timely response measures determined the scale and impact of the pandemic
Figure 1.9: Residential population density compared to COVID-19 case rates by zip code in New York, 18 May 2020
Average # of Residents/sq. mi.
1.3k 150k # of COVID-19 Cases per 100k ppl
458 4.4k
