Reopening the Economy

Welcome to North Dakota

An Unlikely State Emerges as Nation's Premier Contact Tracer

The Peace Garden State is one of a handful of rural states never to have issued a stay-at-home order, yet it is number three in coronavirus testing per capita and number one in contact tracing, two of the four tools needed to contain COVID-19.

May 11, 2020 - The Bismarck Tribune

Washington D.C. - The White House

White House Shelves Reopening Guidelines Prepared by CDC

President Trump wants states to reopen businesses quickly but doesn't want to have the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide directions to business owners and transit agencies on how to open without spreading the coronavirus.

May 10, 2020 - Associated Press

Coronavirus Protest

The Rush to Open: California is No Exception

California was the first state to require all residents to submit to a stay-at-home order, and it appears that Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to ensure it's not the last one to relax that order, regardless of whether it meets the federal guidelines.

May 7, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

East Harlem

Urbanism Pays the Price for High COVID Death Toll in New York and New Jersey

Opponents of dense housing and public transit have seized on the disproportionate death toll originating from the epicenter of the nation's coronavirus outbreak. Is it time for the leaders of New York and New Jersey to admit they acted late?

April 30, 2020 - Slate

Georgia Protest

States Take Steps to Reopen Regardless of White House Guideline Criteria

Governors of several states announced initial steps to reopen their economies even though their COVID-19 caseloads are not meeting the criteria that they show a decline for two weeks, according to White House reopening guidelines issued April 16.

April 21, 2020 - The New York Times

Drive-Through Coronavirus Testing

U.S. Needs to More Than Triple Testing Before States Can Open, Study Says

The United States currently tests about 145,000 people daily. A Harvard study calls for a minimum of 500,000 daily, but that's on the low end if the country wants to prevent shutting down again due to a second wave of the coronavirus.

April 20, 2020 - The New York Times

Helena, Montana

President Trump's Plan to Reopen the Economy Rests with States

After initially saying that he had total authority on how and when to reopen the economy, Trump handed the responsibility to the 50 governors to make their own decisions and offered guidance in the form of a three-phase plan that relies on testing.

April 20, 2020 - The New York Times

Custer, North Dakota

Coronavirus Shuts Down Food Processing Plant as President Pushes Reopening Economy

As President Donald Trump eyes May 1 for "opening up states," he might want to look at states that never shut down businesses to understand his public health advisor's warning that "the virus makes the timeline."

April 19, 2020 - The Washington Post

New York City

Part II: The New Regionalism of the Coronavirus Pandemic

Part I was shutting down the economy on a multi-state basis in the absence of federal leadership. Part II will be opening them up in spite of federal assertiveness.

April 16, 2020 - Politico

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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.

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