Pandemic-Resilient Community Planning: Practical Ways to Help Communities Prepare for, Respond to, and Recover from Pandemics and Other Economic, Social and Environmental Shocks

Resilience refers to a system’s ability to efficiently absorb shocks. This report investigates ways that communities can increase their resilience to pandemics and other sudden economic, social or environmental risks. It compares COVID-19 with other health risks, examines various problems caused by pandemic-control interventions, and recommends specific ways that communities can better prepare for, respond to, and recover from pandemics and other shocks. Pandemic-control travel restrictions, isolation requirements and job losses cause various domestic, social and economic problems, including physical and emotional stresses, and financial losses. Risks vary by location: urban residents have more exposure to infectious disease while rural residents are more likely to die if infected. All shared vehicle travel, including private automobiles carrying passengers, can spread disease. For most households, the safest place to live during a pandemic is an affordable home with ground-floor access in a walkable urban neighborhood where residents have low-risk and affordable mobility options. To improve resilience, communities need effective emergency response, contagion control, safe methods for delivering essential goods and services, adequate housing for all residents, physical and mental support for isolated people, and affordability. Infectious disease risks justify stronger efforts to eliminate homelessness.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.vtpi.org/PRCP.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2020 Todd Litman. This report is updated periodically while the text remains available at the URL indicated above. The actual date of publication, pagination, and other features may differ from that indicated in this record.
• Corporate Authors:

  Victoria Transport Policy Institute

  Victoria, British Columbia  Canada 
• Authors:
  • Litman, Todd
• Publication Date: 2020-4-21

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 27p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: City planning; Communicable diseases; Communities; Disaster preparedness; Disaster resilience; Homeless persons; Recommendations; Risk management; Rural areas; Urban areas
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Society; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01736456
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 22 2020 12:21PM