The novel COVID-19 pandemic has caused upheaval around the world and has led to drastic changes in our daily routines. Long-established routines such as commuting to workplace and in-store shopping are being replaced by telecommuting and online shopping. Many of these shifts were already underway for a long time, but the pandemic has accelerated them remarkably. This research is an effort to investigate how and to what extent people's mobility-styles and habitual travel behaviors have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore whether these changes will persist afterward or will bounce back to the pre-pandemic situation. To do so, a stated preference-revealed preference (SP-RP) survey is designed and implemented in the Chicago metropolitan area. The survey incorporates a comprehensive set of questions associated with individuals' travel behaviors, habits, and perceptions before and during the pandemic, as well as their expectations about the future. Analysis of the collected data reveals significant changes in various aspects of people's travel behavior. We also provide several insights for policymakers to be able to proactively plan for more equitable, sustainable, and resilient cities.

During recent decades with the power system restructuring process, centralized energy sources are being replaced with decentralized ones. This phenomenon has resulted in a novel concept in electric power systems, particularly in distribution systems, known as Distributed Generation (DG). On one hand, utilizing DG is important for secure power generation and reducing power losses. On the other hand, widespread use of such technologies introduces new challenges to power systems such as their optimal location, protection devices' settings, voltage regulation, and Power Quality (PQ) issues. Another key point which needs to be considered relates to specific DG technologies based on Renewable Energy Sources (RESs), such as wind and solar, due to their uncertain power generation. In this regard, this paper provides a comprehensive review of different types of DG and investigates the newly emerging challenges arising in the presence of DG in electrical grids.

Human behavior is notoriously difficult to change, but a disruption of the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to bring about long-term behavioral changes. During the pandemic, people have been forced to experience new ways of interacting, working, learning, shopping, traveling, and eating meals. A critical question going forward is how these experiences have actually changed preferences and habits in ways that might persist after the pandemic ends. Many observers have suggested theories about what the future will bring, but concrete evidence has been lacking. We present evidence on how much US adults expect their own postpandemic choices to differ from their prepandemic lifestyles in the areas of telecommuting, restaurant patronage, air travel, online shopping, transit use, car commuting, uptake of walking and biking, and home location. The analysis is based on a nationally representative survey dataset collected between July and October 2020. Key findings include that the “new normal” will feature a doubling of telecommuting, reduced air travel, and improved quality of life for some.

No abstract