Congregations in Contested Space: Gentrification and Latinx Churches in East Boston
Principal Investigator: Boston, like many U.S. cities, is currently experiencing elevated levels of gentrification adversely affecting working class people of color. The manner in which churches are affected by gentrification is particularly important as churches often provide valuable resources within working class communities of color. The investigator hopes to understand how Latinx churches in the […]
Evictions and Substandard Housing in Boston: The Unfulfilled Promises of the Public Health and Legal System
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Collaborator Boston is one of the least affordable housing markets in the country. Policymakers have focused largely on new housing supply, but existing housing – much of which is substandard and located in low-income neighborhoods and in communities of color – is often overlooked. As neighborhoods are squeezed by new, unaffordable […]
Dislocated Gods, De-territorialized Bodies: Temples, Space and Social Resilience in Urbanizing China
Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigator: China has been undergoing extremely rapid urbanization, and millions of people have been resettled in the process—being displaced both physically and socially. The investigators will examine the lives of the resettled people, in what used to be five rural townships at the edge of the wealthy city of Suzhou, who are […]
Building Community and Health Equity through Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Financial Services
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Despite the link between income and health, few interventions to reduce health disparities have provided financial services directly targeting the needs of families living in poverty to improve health. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a tax credit for low-income, working families and the most effective anti-poverty policy in the US, […]
Reducing Identity-Based Harassment for Marginalized Youth: An Evaluation of the Anti-Defamation League’s Peer Leader Program among Urban Youth
Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigators: One of the most pressing societal problems facing youth is identity-based bullying and harassment, which is on the rise in the United States. Although all forms of bullying and harassment are destructive, identity-based bullying and harassment are associated with even worse health and educational outcomes than other harassment forms, highlighting the […]
Urban Refuge: Access to Information and Access to Aid for Syrian Refugees in Istanbul
Principal Investigator The investigator aims to address the challenge of coordinating aid among diverse service providers that seek to target vulnerable populations in dense urban centers (especially refugees and other migrants who may not have a secure legal status). Two-thirds of refugees worldwide are now located in cities. Refugees have widespread access to mobile devices […]
Community Engagement to Explore Heat Exposure for Urban-Dwelling Older Adults in Boston
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator The investigators seek to understand the heat exposure-related needs and experiences of older adults living in Boston, MA, a population that is vulnerable to health effects of heat. They will use a participatory action method, Photovoice, in combination with exposure and biometric measurements, to document and communicate participant exposures, experiences, and needs […]
Partnering with Families with Limited English Proficiency to Promote Language Justice and Equity in Education Settings
Principal Investigators: Co-Principal Investigators: Youth of color whose first language is not English are the fastest growing segment of the youth population in the United States. Families with limited English proficiency are often restricted from the many opportunities available in urban cities like Boston, leading to inequities in education. In partnership with Massachusetts Advocates for […]
The Effects of Ethnically Segregated Urban Neighborhoods: Evidence from Malaysia’s New Villages
Principal Investigator Economics Ph.D. candidate Jia De Gedeon Lim will conduct a study of the impact of the “New Village Program” in British Malaya on the current urban prosperity and interethnic preferences of urban dwellers in Malaysia. Specifically, he will examine the effects of long-run ethnic segregation from The New Village Program, which was an […]
Impact of Natural Disasters on City Integrity
Principal Investigator Economics PhD candidate Giovanna Marcolongo aims to use statistical analysis to examine the relationship between emergencies—defined as municipalities’ declaration of a “state of emergency”—and corruption in local government, particularly focusing on public procurement outcomes. In order to determine this correlation, Marcolongo will investigate whether municipalities in a “state of emergency” are more likely […]