The people: where will they go?

Abstract

The UK government's swiftly introduced legislation requires people to stay at home, except for very limited purposes and stops all gatherings of more than two people in public The very limited purposes for which people are allowed to leave home include one form of exercise a day These measures are being enforced where necessary by the police, who in most cases have interpreted them to mean that people must not travel by car to beaches, national parks or other places where the beauty of nature can be experienced Strict limits on travel have also been adopted in urban areas to make sure drivers are sticking to lockdown rules Here, Sturzaker reflects upon long-term trends towards higher-density (residential) development in the UK;the impacts these trends may have had on the transmission, and attempts to avoid further spread, of COVID-19;and whether in the longer term residential preferences, and planning policy, may (need to) change