Social / Demographics

Coronavirus Vaccine Could be Available by End of the Year, But...
Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is helping to lead the Trump administration's response to the pandemic, shared positive news with CNN on the progress of the vaccine project but admitted that due to two factors, it is likely not to achieve herd immunity.

COVID's New Demographic
Younger people are making up more of the new cases of COVID-19 as the coronavirus explodes in the Sunbelt states, particularly Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas, bringing with it new attention on bars as settings for high viral transmission.

Chicago's Planning Director on Leadership During Crises
Maurice Cox, planning commissioner for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, is the subject of this in-depth coverage by the Chicago Tribune.

Capital Gains Tax Under Consideration in Seattle
A proposed capital gains tax would invest $37 million per year in solving affordable housing and homelessness crises in Seattle.

Limited Housing Supply Correlated with Higher Rates of Gentrification
For insights into the gentrification of U.S. urban areas, researchers studied high-income buyers of housing in lower-income neighborhoods. To slow gentrification, the housing supply must be boosted, say the researchers.

Texas Hits Pause as Hospital Beds Fill Up
Coronavirus cases are surging throughout the South and West. With growing hospitalizations threatening the capacity of the health care systems in major cities in Texas, Gov. Gregg Abbott pressed 'pause' on the state's reopening plan.

Pandemic Reversal: The New Tri-State Quarantine
Almost three months ago, President Trump announced "sometime today we’ll do a quarantine, short term, two weeks, on New York, probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut" to prevent viral spread to Florida. On Wednesday, the roles reversed.

More than a Pause: Reversing the Reopening
As coronavirus infections grow throughout the South and West, governors and local officials will need to consider rolling back their reopenings. Bars and nightclubs closed in Boise on Wednesday in what may be a sign of what's to come.

Houston: The Prophetic City
The Houston story gets a new telling in a recently published book by Stephen Klineberg.

Anti-Racist Reforms for the Urban Planning Status Quo
An urban planner in Vancouver defines the roots of racism in city building, and calls on urban planners to be more effective anti-racist allies.

Coronavirus Success: The Unusual Story Behind the State with the Lowest Infection Rate
Like New Zealand, another island has achieved success in reducing viral spread. The ability to quarantine travelers to Hawaii was crucial, but the virus had already arrived. Health professionals played key roles which, at times, led to conflict.

Baltimore Could Reallocate Police Funding to Public Transit
Baltimore is taking steps to divest from policing and makes decisions about where to invest $22 million in reallocated funds. One proposal: use the money to support public transit.

Model Predicts Next U.S. Coronavirus Epicenter
For the third consecutive day, COVID-19 cases in the Sunshine State have set records, exceeding 4,000 for the first time. PolicyLab in Philadelphia now predicts Florida will be the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. by mid-July.

City vs. State: Mayors Want Power to Require Mask Wearing to Slow Coronavirus Spread
Coronavirus cases are surging in the Lone Star State's urban areas, so mayors of nine of its largest cities asked Greg Abbott for the power to mandate the wearing of masks or facial coverings, prohibited by executive order, to slow viral spread.

Prioritizing Open Air Spaces in Pandemic Recovery Efforts
Businesses and public health officials are working together to develop guidelines to provide goods and services to the public safely. They're visioning creative ways to bring businesses outdoors and promoting al fresco spaces.

The Trump Administration's Environmental Policies Have Consequences for Black Lives
A Trump administration decision not to tighten Clean Air Act restrictions on soot pollution will have more consequences for Black Americans.

CDC Documents Racial Disparities of COVID-19 Illness
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides the federal government's most complete picture of the demographic data of COVID-19 illness.

Black Americans Facing Eviction on a Massive Scale
Many Americans won't be able to pay the rent in July. Black people are more likely to rent and will bear the brunt of a wave of evictions.

Disorder is Not Destiny
Do protests and riots inevitably lead to crime waves and flight to suburbia? Not always.

Sun Belt Cities Need a New Approach to Urbanism
The unique growth and challenges facing large cities in the U.S. Sun Belt will require a break from the kinds of policies generated to serve Northeastern and Midwestern cities over the course of U.S. history.
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