Race, Planning Intersect as the Coronavirus Kills Black and Latino Americans at Higher Rates

Black and Latino Americans in the United States are dying from COVID-19 at a much higher rate than whites. The foundation for the tragedy has been laid for decades.

3 minute read

April 14, 2020, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


New York Public Transit

Emily Geraghty / Shutterstock

ProPublica offered the first in-depth news analysis of the high infection rates of coronavirus in Black communities in Milwaukee, where misinformation and mistrust made it difficult to convince many Black people to protect themselves.

The long history of structural racism also sowed the seeds for this public health crisis in the Black community, according to the authors of the story, Akilah Johnson and Talia Buford. "Environmental, economic and political factors have compounded for generations, putting black people at higher risk of chronic conditions that leave lungs weak and immune systems vulnerable: asthma, heart disease, hypertension and diabetes."

As documented by the ProPublica team, the disease has inflicted damage on Black communities in Michigan, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Illinois. Since then, numerous articles have repeated and supplemented these findings as the extent of the human costs of the pandemic have continued to skew across racial lines. Here's a sample of additional news coverage of the racial data on coronavirus infections in the United States, including attention eventually paid to New York City, the geographic location experiencing the largest outbreak in the United States:

The thread of environmental injustice runs throughout these data. People of color are dying more of COVID-19 because of environmental and planning policies that expose these communities to higher rates of pollution and because neighborhoods are segregated by occupation and class.

As for potential responses to the current public health crisis, Joe Barrett, Coulter Jones, and Ebony Reed report in a paywalled Wall Street Journal article about how mayors are responding to the racial inequities apparent in the public health outcomes of COVID-19, and The New York Times editorial board added its two cents about how to save lives in the Black and Latino communities during the pandemic, including releasing better data, speeding medical care for Black and Latino Americans ("These disparities in access and outcomes call out for more fundamental changes in health care policy in the United States," according to the editorial), providing alternative housing for workers and others who live in large households and have no way to isolate themselves if they get sick, and potentially dispatching the National Guard to distribute food and other services. 

At some point during the recovery from this public health and economic crisis, it will be time for planners and policy makers to make fundamental changes to the way communities are planned and built in the United States, similar to the changes the New York Times editorial proposes for the healthcare industry.

Friday, April 3, 2020 in ProPublica

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View from inside car's driver seat while driving.

Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians

Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.

15 minutes ago - Bloomberg CityLab

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

July 10 - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

July 10 - Shelterforce Magazine

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA