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A new map from the developer Meli Harvey shows exactly how narrow the sidewalks in New York are, with colors overlaid onto the city’s grid. (Harvey used data from New York City’s sidewalk dataset to construct their map.) The result is a stark validation of what most New Yorkers felt to be true: there’s just not enough space for most people to stay the recommended six feet apart.

The coronavirus is killing black and Latino people in New York City at twice the rate that it is killing white people

In New York City, Latinos represent 34 percent of the people who have died of the coronavirus but make up 29 percent of the city’s population, according to preliminary data from the city’s Health Department. Black people represent 28 percent of deaths but make up 22 percent of the population.

In Chicago, for example, black people account for 72 percent of virus-related fatalities, even though they make up a little less than a third of the population.

The estimates of aggregate flows of people are incredibly valuable. A map that examines the impact of social distancing messaging or policies on population mobility patterns, for example, will help county officials understand what kinds of messaging or policies are most effective. Comparing the public response to interventions, in terms of the rate of movement over an entire county from one day to the next, measured against a baseline from normal times, can provide insight into the degree to which recommendations on social distancing are being followed.

The research and public health response communities can and should use population mobility data collected by private companies, with appropriate legal, organizational, and computational safeguards in place.