  Many countries have introduced social distancing rules during the COVID-19
pandemic in order to reduce spreading of the virus in public spaces. This has
inspired research on pedestrian dynamics in more ways than just one. Many
studies have been performed, not only to determine the effectiveness of such
measures, but also in order to understand its effects on crowd dynamics in
general. In this Perspective article, we reflect on the insights derived from
these investigations and their relevance for future advancements in the field
of pedestrian dynamics. This includes impacts on safety regulations and the
potential for new theoretical and experimental approaches which may hold
relevance even beyond applied restrictions.
