Physical Distancing, Fresh Air, and Countryside

Part 2 in the series: Can Beauty Kill Germs? Traditional Urbanism Helps Make Communities Resilient.

Given that disease transmission is dependent on human behavior, a pandemic like Covid-19 brings up specific environmental demands, including physical distancing, access to fresh air, supporting the immune system—and planning for the post-pandemic return to life—which is forever changed.

It is perhaps not surprising that the first principle of classic planning—the proximity of countryside for daily life benefits such as mental balance, recreation, animal corridors, and close-in farming—corresponds to  the most important requirement of the Covid-19 pandemic—physical distancing between communities. According to The Art of Classic Planning, a first step in laying out fabric is separating it from adjacent districts.

But in urban fabric, the epidemiological requirement for physical distancing is easier to attain in classic streets because, it is easier and safer to distance on streets designed for people than those drawn out for cars. In emergencies, the classic street hierarchy can better facilitate evacuation, and in normal times, the hierarchy of parks can facilitate the exercise and fresh air desired. In epidemics they fulfill the neighborhood “physical distance” requirement when parks can facilitate the exercise and fresh air desired. In epidemics they fulfill the neighborhood “physical distance” requirement when exercising or taking fresh air.

Even during normal times, groups of people distance themselves intuitively apparently following the cues of the architectural rhythms. Street in Rome. © Nir Buras.

As demonstrated by Michael Mehaffy, distancing is not counter to so-called “density,” which is itself a fallacious measure, taking very different forms, with very different connective properties, and associated impacts on health and well-being.

It is wrong to think that tall buildings are necessary to achieve greater densities. In the context of Covid-19, tall buildings have much in common with the cruise ships where so many people became infected. Their common lobbies, enclosed elevators, and common HVAC systems, are “choke points” where airborne disease transmission is facilitated. Such conditions are exacerbated by the absence of operable windows.

The same population density can come in very different forms, with very different properties. Michael Mehaffy based on a drawing by the UK Urban Task Force

Indeed, classic-plan urban fabric avoids centralized choke points. Without the compelled close proximity that tall buildings have, they exhibit less risk. Moreover, The architectural rhythms of traditional doors, windows, and other elements throughout the fabric, can intuitively, organically—and beautifully!—inform the spacing between people. While in normal times, they provide walking rhythms akin to musical bars in a score, in all times they comprise beautiful frames within which solitude or intimacy can be played out.

According to Jane Jacobs, in those windows and doorways we have “eyes on the street,” real people in real time, not CCTVs. The spillover effects of pretty urban fabric are not only added security and safety with children walking to school and playing in the street. They also include the public health benefits of people spotting in real time nuisances such as standing water, potholes, and trash that can severely impact basic public health. The sum total is a not the “supervised community” that we see in some countries, but the more resilient community, which we know as historically withstanding challenges.


Contributed by © Nir Buras, 200423 v.20