The future of cities

Jackelyn Hwang is an expert on the social dynamics of cities. In one line of research, she combines AI and Google Street View to measure quality-of-life factors – such as trash, blight, new construction, and the pace of recovery from climate disasters – to analyze gentrification, racial equity, and overall resident well-being. Her work has shown, for instance, that predominantly Black neighborhoods are last and slowest to gentrify and that displaced Black residents often end up in worse neighborhoods. She recently worked with policymakers at the housing department of Oakland, California, on anti-displacement and anti-homelessness programs and is now working with policymakers across the Bay Area to strengthen neighborhoods. We are clearing a path to more stable communities for everyone, Hwang tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast. Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to [email protected]. Episode Reference Links: Stanford Profile: Jackelyn Hwang Learn more about Jackie's work on housing instability in Oakland Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Chapters: (00:00:00) Introduction Russ Altman introduces guest Jackie Hwang, a professor of sociology at Stanford University. (00:02:53) Path into Urban Sociology How Hwang’s experiences near Philadelphia shaped her interest in cities, inequality, and neighborhood change. (00:04:56) The 21st-Century American City How gentrification, immigration, crime, education, housing, and climate change are reshaping cities. (00:08:03) Defining Gentrification How sociologists understand gentrification as a class-based transformation of neighborhoods. (00:10:02) Studying Gentrification Why race, segregation, and neighborhood inequality complicate simple stories of urban renewal. (00:11:50) Displacement and Instability Why gentrification does not always increase moving rates, but still affects where people end up. (00:14:48) Policy and Anti-Displacement How Hwang’s research informs local policy, housing strategy, and homelessness prevention. (00:18:10) Measuring Neighborhood Change How technology can help researchers study changing neighborhoods at scale. (00:18:55) Google Street View and Cities How Street View opened new ways to observe gentrification and neighborhood conditions. (00:20:36) Computer Vision for Urban Research How AI and computer vision are being used to analyze neighborhood conditions. (00:21:53) What Neighborhoods Reveal How visible signs like trash, blight, vacant lots, and construction signal neighborhood change. (00:23:10) Eye Tracking and Perception How researchers study what people notice in neighborhoods and how those cues affect stress. (00:24:09) Climate Change and Recovery How disasters can widen neighborhood inequality through uneven rebuilding and abandonment. (00:26:14) Neighborhoods and Wellbeing How better measurements of neighborhood conditions could guide interventions for safer, more stable communities. (00:28:00) Future In a Minute Rapid-fire Q&A: affordable housing, neighborhood change, and better urban data. (00:29:32) Conclusion     Connect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.