Initial research on social isolation as a method to combat contagious disease included a high-school science fair project modeling social networks. Doctors learned that the spread of disease could be decelerated by disrupting these networks.
Most people became aware of social distancing when guidelines and restrictions related to reducing the spread of the coronavirus circulated worldwide. In a New York Times piece, Eric Lipton and Jennifer Steinhauer tell the origin story of the concept of social distancing—a story that began about a decade and a half ago when George W. Bush, concerned by bioterrorism, requested research to ensure that the United States would be prepared in the event of an outbreak of infectious disease.
When Department of Veterans Affairs physician Dr. Mecher and oncologist and White House advisor Dr. Hatchett presented their research on previous pandemic outbreaks, they received what Dr. Mecher politely describes as an "ugly" response.
"When they presented their plan not long after, it was met with skepticism and a degree of ridicule by senior officials, who like others in the United States had grown accustomed to relying on the pharmaceutical industry, with its ever-growing array of new treatments, to confront evolving health challenges," explain Lipton and Steinhauer. Despite resistance, the Bush administration and the Centers for Disease Control adopted the Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions or NPI as official policy.
FULL STORY: The Untold Story of the Birth of Social Distancing
Coronavirus Daily Deaths Top 4,000 in U.S.
For the first time in the pandemic, over 4,000 Americans died on one day, January 7, from a disease that had no name before Feb. 11, 2020.
Against 'Pandemic-Friendly' Planning
Since COVID-19 won't last forever, planners should not act as if it will, according to this opinion.
Wisconsin in Crisis
Hospitals in parts of Wisconsin are experiencing a medical crisis reminiscent of New York and Arizona—they are running out of beds due to a surge of COVID-19 patients. The outbreak is statewide, showing no relationship with density.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Has President Trump Met His Match?
Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.
Report: One-Fifth of Seattle Households Are Car-Free
According to one local writer, the city’s low rate of car ownership should encourage officials to support public transit and reduce parking minimums.
California Lawmakers Move to Protect Waterways
Anticipating that the Trump EPA will reinstate a 2017 policy that excluded seasonal wetlands and waterways from environmental protections.
The YIGBY Movement: Unlocking Church-Owned Land for Affordable Housing
As the housing crisis deepens, interest in faith-based development is spreading across the country. How do YIGBY zoning laws work, where are they being implemented or introduced, and what could it mean for communities and churches?
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.
Strategic Economics Inc
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service