Planning and the Pandemic

Sarah Lewis, Director of Planning & Zoning, City of Somerville

Sarah Lewis, Director of Planning & Zoning, City of Somerville

My role as a professional planner is often about imagining--long-range planning sparks ideas that seem far-fetched at the current moment. We do visioning exercises to capture a community's hopes and desires for a neighborhood, such as increasing housing types, having more sidewalk cafes, or hosting festivals and events. Naturally, looking forward has been difficult over the past few years when absolutely everything has been so unpredictable. But please bear with me as we put on rose-colored glasses. From an urban planning perspective, the pandemic has helped move forward some projects that would have previously taken years to implement and have changed how we live, work, and play.

For many, daily lives shrank to the size of dwelling units and computer screens, and there has been extra pressure on the places we call home. Adding extra rooms or office nooks seems like a simple way to accommodate remote working and learning, but this can only be accomplished in new construction. As larger units mean higher prices, this solution is only available for a small portion of the population. However, many developers are including a ‘third space’ as an amenity in new construction over increasing unit sizes. Whether a simple shared lounge with high-speed internet, a coffee shop for lingering, or a full co-working set-up, a third space provides a work location for residents beyond just a home or office. Larger mail rooms are being added, too, for the increase in package deliveries from online shopping.

Smaller units, generally less expensive to rent, are taking on a new look that may help address affordability challenges. Micro units (or co-housing), often considered more like dormitory rooms than traditional apartments, are becoming more popular in dense urban locations with young professionals who no longer want to live with roommates. These homes are models of design efficiency with a bedroom/office and a private bath but all other daily living spaces, such as a full kitchen, lounge area, and laundry, are shared. The buildings can be cheaper per unit cost to develop as the number of kitchen appliances necessary is greatly reduced and the smaller units allow more dwellings per building than conventional construction.

“the common factor that we need to keep in the forefront of all planning is the need for human interaction and a sense of community that is respectful to all.”

As we return to work, more companies opting for hybrid schemes over in-person, so office vacancies are increasing. Therefore, we should look at these existing buildings as part of the housing shortage and affordability solutions. In 2021, there were a record number of commercial office buildings in many cities that were converted into residential uses. Compared to demolition and new construction, adaptive reuse can have a lower environmental impact, cost less money, and take less time to complete. There has been a fair amount of talk about converting hotels as well. There are design challenges due to office floor plate sizes and depth from windows for daylighting or too many baths and no kitchens in hotels, but those are not insurmountable issues.

Neighborhood planning efforts include envisioning new circulation networks or improvements to the existing streets. More remote work meant fewer cars on the streets. Combine that fact with some public health responses like social distancing requiring more seating areas to keep restaurants in business and the solution in many urban municipalities was to reclaim street space. Travel lanes were reduced in width to allow for wider sidewalks and restaurants were permitted to set up seating areas in parallel parking spaces. These ‘parklets’ have become so popular that, in many places, the streets remain in pedestrian-friendly configurations allowing for more outdoor dining.

Places to play (access to public open space) were another issue that became painfully important to those who lived in compact urban dwellings. Obviously, a municipality cannot magically manufacture new land and, in existing built environments, ‘highest and best’ uses lead to development over open space. But when there is more remote work and a reduction in commuting, there are plenty of parking lots available for other activities. Drive-in movies, pickle ball or bocce courts, and yoga classes are some of the group activities that occurred on asphalt for safe, socially distanced outdoor activities. Successful open space can simply be a place to gather and interact, it does not always have to be green space or even permanent.

We are likely to be challenged again through any number of adverse situations – be it physical disasters, social unrest, or financial collapse. We need to think sustainably to make certain that all socio-economic, cultural, or age groups have a basic quality of life that should include mental well-being. Our need for personal safety has severely challenged our sense of community, and consequently, we have all experienced some level of isolationism that is detrimental to our health. The pandemic response requires us to deeply consider the long-term sustainable approaches with all these alterations to the ways we live, work, and play. However, the common factor that we need to keep at the forefront of all planning is the need for human interaction and a sense of community that is respectful to all.