Policies to Help Communities Recover

As America’s cities move towards reopening, policymakers must preserve public safety while finding ways to make cities more livable. These changes should encourage adaptation in response to the pandemic while considering how public behavior has changed since February. In this policy brief series, the authors explore economic uncertainty, housing restrictions, and commuting in a post-COVID-19 world.

Policy Brief Series

Policies to Help Communities Recover: Economic Uncertainty

Salim Furth, Nolan Gray, and Emily Hamilton

Urban communities can strengthen their economies and address uncertainty in the wake of the pandemic by enabling greater commercial zoning flexibility, embracing pop-up businesses and reforming business permit processes. Continue reading

Policies to Help Communities Recover: Housing Restrictions

Emily Hamilton, Salim Furth, and Nolan Gray

Housing restrictions that impede homeless shelters, construction of housing additions, and short-term housing make the United States less resilient to a pandemic. These restrictions should be repealed to improve housing for those most at risk from the virus. Continue reading

Policies to Help Communities Recover: Commuting

Nolan Gray, Salim Furth, and Emily Hamilton

To advance the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, cities should prepare for increased traffic congestion, but become friendlier to non-vehicular traffic in the long term. Continue reading

Scholars Discuss Communities and Coronavirus

Jenny Schuetz of the Brookings Institution and Mercatus scholars Emily Hamilton and Salim Furth joined Mercatus Vice President for Outreach Karen Czarnecki to discuss policies to help communities recover from the economic damage caused by COVID-19.