Since March, we at the Civic Data Design Lab (CDDL) have been collecting and analyzing data surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Our work has always been about understanding data and using it to call attention to the needs and interests of citizens on the margins of policy development. The global pandemic, and its quantitative nature, has made this mission all the more crucial. COVID-19 is exposing existing inequalities in our country and across the globe. We urgently must document these disparities as they emerge to have a chance of addressing them.
We are starting this blog in order to share the work we’re doing with a larger audience. We join a large community of scientists, designers, and urbanists around the world who are already engaged in open conversations about COVID-19 through the lens of its data—its nuances, its stories, and its calls to action. As in our other projects, we’re experimenting with collection tools and visualization strategies that allow us to highlight phenomena that might otherwise be overlooked.
Our first post highlights how tricky it is to draw informed conclusions from COVID-19 data. Upcoming posts will delve into the inequalities of the outbreak, particularly how testing opportunities relate to income levels across the country.
As the situation with COVID-19 evolves, so will this blog. We hope to use this space to start conversations toward change and we look forward to the dialogues that come from it.
