Dr. Geoffrey Buckley
Dr. Geoffrey Buckley, Professor of Geography at Ohio University, was featured in WalletHub story about “2020’s Fastest-Growing Cities in America.”
Among financial writer Adam McCann’s questions to Buckley, “Should we expect to see a reshaping of large cities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g. migration of families towards suburbs, repurposing open-air spaces, redesigning high-density areas)?”
“I think we are seeing this already, with people in New York City, and elsewhere, purchasing ‘compounds’ and ‘retreats’ in rural areas. It is really the worst thing we can do. One of the things that make cities more sustainable than their rural counterparts is their density. In cities like New York City, people drive less, use less energy per capita to heat and cool their apartments, and generate less trash per capita than Americans who live in the suburbs or rural areas. Thanks to density, New York also has the tax base to make improvements to infrastructure that other cities that are more spread out cannot afford. I am afraid COVID-19 has caused real budgetary havoc for cities like New York and DC. How small businesses are going to survive is a real concern….” Buckley answered.
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