Understanding COVID-19 Induced Responses for Individuals and Businesses: Changes in Human Mobility Patterns and Resilience Tactics by Small Food Businesses

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected our daily lives, including the ways individuals access food, work, and carry out routine activities. From another perspective, small food businesses’ operations have also been affected by the unprecedented indoor service restrictions and reduced customer foot traffic. Understanding how people and businesses adapted is essential for addressing the wider effects on urban mobility, food access, and resilience. This dissertation is driven by the overarching question: How has the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped individual's mobility patterns and affected their food access, as well as small businesses' resilience tactics? To answer this, the study develops a comprehensive framework, combining advanced data modeling and empirical studies. First, the study introduces a modified Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (2SFCA) method to evaluate food accessibility through delivery services, addressing critical gaps in understanding disparities across regions and population groups. This methodology incorporates supply-demand interaction and the unique spatial characteristics of delivery services. Second, this dissertation investigates COVID and telecommuting-induced shifts in travel patterns using three waves of the Puget Sound household travel survey data and explores changes in the frequency, spatial and temporal distribution of maintenance and discretionary trips, as well as the resulting mode splits and vehicle miles traveled. Finally, this dissertation examines resilience strategies employed by small food businesses during disruptions. Using first-hand, qualitative and quantitative data collected from businesses in Seattle’s University District, it develops a mathematical optimization framework to evaluate and recommend effective strategies for coping with labor shortages, supply constraints, fluctuating demand, decreased production, and restricted capacity. In sum, the study provides a comprehensive picture of how individuals and small businesses adapted during the unprecedented COVID-19 Pandemic. This work contributes to creating resilient and adaptive urban communities in the post-pandemic era.