Assessing the association between combined sewer overflow events and gastrointestinal illness in the Merrimack Valley
Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigators: Collaborator: In combined sewer systems—which exist in more than 800 cities in the United States—household sewage, stormwater, and industrial waste are collected in a common pipe that flows to a wastewater treatment facility. Combined sewer overflow (CSO) events occur during periods of peak stormwater runoff when the system becomes overwhelmed and […]
Mixed-methods Study of Female Homeownership in U.S. Cities
Principal Invrestigator: Co-Principal Investigator Despite lower wages, single women buy more houses than single men, and rates of single male and female homeownership vary substantially across U.S. cities. The origins, history, or varying rates have yet to be studied, and the consequences of gendered homeownership patterns, for homeowners and cities, still need to be understood. […]
The Effects of Social Housing on Neighborhoods: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Copenhagen
Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigator: Collaborator: Providing affordable social housing for socially and economically disadvantaged households is crucial for sustainable and equitable city management. However, little is known about the impacts of social housing for disadvantaged households on urban neighborhoods. Our project studies this question using a research design that takes advantage of a fixed assignment […]
The Politics of Rent: Power & Inequality in Low-Income Neighborhoods
Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigator: Landlords in low-income urban areas hold immense economic and political power relative to their tenant populations. Depending on their motivations, resources, and ability, landlords can be harbingers of a neighborhood’s bright or bleak future. This project uses “big data” to better understand the landlords operating in low-income neighborhoods in cities across […]
Cities and Alternative Spaces of Memory: Monuments and Counter-Monuments in New Orleans
Principal Investigator Despite public outcry from some quarters, the New Orleans City Council voted to remove four monuments to the Confederacy in 2015. Cynthia Becker’s project, “Cities and Alternative Spaces of Memory: Monuments and Counter-Monuments in New Orleans,” uses the current debate around Confederate monuments as a springboard to consider the role counter-monuments play in […]
Socio-Spatial Politics of Risk Mitigation: Building-Scale Urban Transformation Maps of Istanbul, Turkey
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator In an era of ever growing global cities facing climate and environmental hazards, financial crises and pandemics, risk calculation and anticipation became main organizing principles of contemporary cities. In dialogue with the literature on socio-spatial politics of risk, Ladin’s research examines the ways in which risk calculation and mitigation efforts shape […]
The Effects of Civil Service Reform on Local Government: Evidence from the Progressive Era
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator: As populations grew throughout the early 1900s, questions of city governance grew in importance and complexity. How were the cities of the early twentieth century managed and governed? Early in the 19th century, traditional patronage systems reigned and were seen as an important tool for voter mobilization. However, by 1920, over […]
Addressing the Workforce Needs of Youth in Urban Settings: A Study of Local Workforce Development Boards’ Inclusion of Youth Expertise
Principal Investigator: This project will examine Local Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) in urban settings in regard to their inclusion of youth perspectives in planning and implementation. Currently, insufficient evidence exists regarding the policy networks to address youth employment in cities and the characteristics of these networks that promote innovative, sustained, and effective results. Disconnected youth […]
Effects of Greenspace Structure on Urban Tree Health and Human Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter: A Biogeochemical Analysis and Exposure Assessment
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigators: Air pollution in urban areas, such as particulate matter emitted from vehicular and industrial activity, has negative effects on vegetation and human health. To encourage reductions in air pollution in urban areas, many cities have increased vegetation through tree planting campaigns, which has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease prevalence and […]
Urban Heat Exposure, Cooling Demand and Electricity Consumption under Future Climate Change: an Empirical Approach
Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigators Can cities adapt in sustainable ways to the impacts of climate change? Different cities across the world will face different health risks due to rising temperatures, and urban populations will have varied adaptation options over the time-frames in which temperatures will increase. Such heterogeneity suggests the need for differentiated approaches to […]