Density and Public Transit – Victims of COVID-19 Pandemic?

Abstract In recent decades, urban development policies in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere in the US have distinctly shifted toward promoting sustainable development with higher densities and greater access to public transit. However, these characteristics of the built environment promote COVID-19 transmission owing to greater contact between infected and uninfected individuals. There is growing concern that fear of virus transmission may result in decreased public support for sustainable development. This study analyzes data from a survey conducted in April–May 2022 in Seattle region. The findings suggest that concern about COVID-19 transmission is negatively related to public policy support for higher densityand greater access to public transit. These results are troubling for sustainability advocates because decreased public support may undermine the sustainability agenda. A shift from denser urban areas to low-density suburban communities and from public to individual transportation will result in unsustainable development with long-term negative environmental consequences.