Social and Spatial Inequalities during COVID-19: Evidence from France and the Need for a New Sustainable Urban and Regional Development Paradigm

This study examines the impact of social and spatial inequalities on the spread of COVID-19 and the efficacy of lockdown measures in French regions during the third wave (22 March and 3 May 2021), with a focus on population density and poverty. It based on data from French government websites, adopting quantitative methods including the Pearson Coefficient and One-Way ANOVA. The results indicate a significant correlation between population density and COVID-19 deaths in 92 departments (R = 0.695), which is stronger than the correlation between density and infection rates (R = 0.633, p < 0.001). In the 25 most affected departments, this pattern shifts, with a weaker correlation between density and deaths (R = 0.644) compared to density/infections (R = 0.716, p < 0.001). Although insightful, these statistics do not capture regional disparities. A minor correlation between poverty and death rates was recorded in French regions. Spatial observations showed that areas exceeding the national poverty average experienced higher infection/death rates. The lockdowns were effective, leading to a reduction (51.7%) in infections. The present results showed that there is a significant need for a new social contract based on a new urban and regional paradigm focused on socio-spatial equality and Sustainable Development Goals locally and globally, a vital task for policymakers, planners, and researchers.