Dynamic neighborhood isolation and resilience during the pandemic in America's 50 largest cities

Abstract

Planners have been in the war against neighborhood isolation for a long time. But studies have largely focused on the isolation within a neighborhood, ignoring its disconnectedness with the city and other neighborhoods based on human mobility. Analyses of human mobility data in America's largest 50 cities indicate that poor neighborhoods—regardless of its racial characteristics—are far less connected with mainstream neighborhoods (nonpoor and white neighborhoods) than nonpoor neighborhoods, and the gap is even wider during the pandemic. We also explored the resilience of neighborhoods in recovering the connection with the city and mainstream neighborhoods, and its built environment determinants. Our findings offer new insights for equitable neighborhood planning and policymaking in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.