Jinyu Zhang Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Email: s2153494@siswa.um.edu.my
Mariney Mohd Yusoff Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Email: mariney@um.edu.my

Abstract:

The world has witnessed an unprecedented event, COVID-19, which has profoundly affected all aspects of human existence. As the initial spread of the virus was more prevalent in densely populated urban areas, this has introduced a fresh perspective to urban and town planning. This study investigates the various micro and macro-level urbanization indicators in the context of the virus spread in seven main Chinese cities with varying degrees of urbanization. Using simple log-linear regression, the relationship between the explanatory variables and the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is determined, along with the statistical significance of the influential factors. In addition, a comprehensive correlation analysis will be performed to reveal the relationships and associations between the variables. Results indicate that population density, temperature, air quality, medical infrastructure, and age positively correlate with virus transmission in urban areas as they increase the number of cases. Shortly, the scope of the endeavor can be expanded to include an exhaustive list of variables.

Keywords:Urbanization, confirmed cases, COVID-19, urban planning, simple log-linear regression, correlation analysis.