Pandemic brings surprising changes to our urban habits

[Judi Lynn]

November 4, 2024

Imma Perfetto
Cosmos science journalist

People forced to hunker down in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic have retained many of those habits – which might change the face of our cities and urban spaces.

In 2023, people in the US spent about 51 minutes less time on activities outside of the house compared to before the pandemic, a new paper in the Journal of the American Planning Association has found. People also reduced the amount of time spent on daily travel, such as driving or taking public transportation, by 12-minutes compared to 2019.

The authors of the paper, who are urban planners, say: “…even after the pandemic Americans are staying home to a startling degree” and if these patterns of altered behaviour hold “they could imply significant long-term changes for homes, businesses, cities, and transportation.”

The researchers analysed the work and leisure habits of 34,000 adult respondents to the American Time Use Survey in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

More:
https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/pandemic-brings-surprising-changes-to-our-urban-habits/