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Exploring location, policy, and demographic factors correlated with public space use in Indian cities during the COVID-19 pandemic
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Exploring location, policy, and demographic factors correlated with public space use in Indian cities during the COVID-19 pandemic

Jerry Anthony and Siddesh Kudale
Journal of urbanism
05/05/2026
DOI: 10.1080/17549175.2026.2665788

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Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, open spaces and public areas were sought out as places for respite during long periods of lockdowns. In this article, we report on the use of grocery stores, markets, parks, and open spaces during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in three large Indian cities. Using primary data collected during the pandemic, we explored the effects of personal protection aids, protective mechanisms used by destination locations, government policies, and socioeconomic and demographic factors on visits to these places. We found that grocery stores and markets were much-visited amenities during the pandemic and that stores that used multiple protective measures or were in safe zones attracted more visits than those that were not. We also found that women and persons 25 years old or younger used public spaces much more than men or those over 25. We suggest that urban planners in India foreground the psychological benefits of such amenities, especially for women and young persons, and ensure easy access to them in development planning so that residents’ needs during future pandemics are better addressed. Research on urban development lessons from the pandemic in developing countries is scant and this study helps partly fill this void.

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