Is Density Making us Sick? - Yonah Freemark

Livable City

The debate is not a new one and yet it feels like the world wonders for the first time, do dense cities inherently make us more prone to becoming infected with something like a Coronavirus? It turns out, the answer isn’t as simple as it might at first seem to be. I debate this with special guest Yonah Freemark.

But the conversation still focuses almost solely on the inherent dangers of living in dense places. The conversation needs to evolve and mature.

Livable City seeks to call us towards making cities far more livable, more vibrant, more connecting to each other. Connecting in-person has been put on hold during the COVID-19 crisis, however we haven’t stopped connecting to each other and we’ve moved to connecting online in unprecedented levels. And this proves again the fundamental nature of cities that mustn't be forgotten: cities exist first and foremost to fulfill humanity’s social needs, that all of us seek to be seen, known and cared for around where we live by those who live around us.

And it is from this lens that my conversation with Yonah seeks to contribute to the global conversation around this important subject. Yonah is an incredibly well read and thoughtful researcher, professional and urban practitioner at the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Follow the work of Yonah on Twitter and definitely check out a mix of his personal and academic work at The Transport Politic.

Come join the conversation around this subject by joining the Livable City community group.

Interesting density and Coronavirus infection figures:

Chicago COVID-19 cases by zip code

Coronavirus pandemic in Hong Kong

New York City area cases by zip code

Coronavirus cases around France

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