Open AccessCorrelating Urban Population Density and Sustainability Using the Corona Index Method
Author(s) -
Tanushri Kamble,
Sarika Bahadure
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of settlements and spatial planning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.205
H-Index - 6
eISSN - 2248-2199
pISSN - 2069-3419
DOI - 10.24193/jssp.2021.1.03
Subject(s) - index (typography) , population density , corona (planetary geology) , pandemic , covid-19 , population , geography , sustainability , composite index , environmental health , business , disease , medicine , infectious disease (medical specialty) , computer science , physics , composite indicator , venus , financial system , ecology , pathology , astrobiology , world wide web , biology
A high population density is considered beneficial for sustainable urban planning. In crisis conditions, such as the present COVID-19 pandemic, the role of population density needs to be clearly understood in order to deal with the situation and also plan the future pandemic interventions. The paper presents a case study approach in a Nagpur, India to understand the relation between urban population density and the COVID-19 spread during the first wave. Spatial density maps and COVID-19 patient data for five consecutive critical months have been correlated using the corona index method. The corona index helps to determine the severity of the disease spread in neighbourhoods of varying population densities. The study reveals a high corona index in high-density areas and a low corona index in low- and medium-density areas. It shows that although high-density planning is sustainable, it proves hazardous for public health during pandemics. The study reveals that high-density areas are at a greater risk of disease spread during pandemics.