“We need a readiness and preparedness plan for getting our cities and communities back up and running, and the time to start is now.”
UTTRI associated faculty Professor Richard Florida looks at the changes that will be needed when COVID-19 lockdowns are lifted in his recent article “We’ll Need To Reopen Our Cities. But Not Without Making Changes First” published by CityLab.
Florida provides an overview of four major areas where adaptions will be needed: (1) transportation; (2) use of large-scale infrastructure; (3) local economies; and (4) support of workers.
“Transportation infrastructure is the circulatory system and lifeblood of the economy.”
Following is a summary of Florida’s recommended adaptions in the area of transportation.
Air travel
- Add temperature checks and health screenings to the security measures that are already in place.
- Reduce crowding and delays using painted lines on floors and stanchions
- Make masks and hand sanitizer available
- Reduce passenger counts and keep middle seats open
Public transit
- Design changes in stations and seating for increased social distancing
Streets
- Pedestrianize streets, widen sidewalks to promote social distancing
- Expand and protect bike lanes
- Refine and expand bike and scooter-sharing programs for when public transit is compromised
To read the full article with many more insights and adaptation recommendations from Dr. Florida, see “We’ll Need To Reopen Our Cities. But Not Without Making Changes First,” CityLab, March 27, 2020.