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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Marilyn Brown, Regents' and Brook Byers Professor in the School of Public Policy, was quoted in the article "Denser Cities Could Spare Climate But Also Increase Virus Transmission" on March 27 in E&E News.
The article examines a tradeoff involved in making cities more dense, which can decrease their overall carbon footprint but leave them more susceptible to disease outbreaks like that of COVID-19. Brown spoke to how reducing sprawl is essential not just for reducing emissions but also for optimizing response to disease outbreaks.
Excerpt:
“I would say sprawl is the epitome of what we don’t want to do in terms of emissions from transportation and buildings,” said Marilyn Brown, professor of sustainable systems at the Georgia Tech’s School of Public Policy in Atlanta.
Density can make pandemics more manageable because it fosters communication and efficiency in the delivery of essential public services, she said.