The effective design, implementation and evaluation of public policies rely on accurate socioeconomic data. It would be impossible, for instance, to implement a poverty alleviation program without knowing who the relevant target populations are, where they liv... More »
Uber, Airbnb, Seamless, Waze—Twenty years ago these concepts were a distant impossibility. Smart phone technology has given programmers, computer scientists and entrepreneurs tools to revolutionize traditional industries like hospitality, transportation and su... More »
Gone are the days when someone was overwhelmed with joy simply because Amazon or Pandora correctly discerned his or her tastes. It is no longer a secret that businesses are collecting consumers’ digital footprints and translating them into personalized service... More »
The era of “big” data in public policy has begun. In order to boost the value of survey data for urban use, researchers must make choices comparable and compatible with personal experiences. More »
Smart urbanism based on real-time data analysis is not a panacea for all city management problems. The numerous benefits come with potential risks in city failure. More »
Advances in biometric technology, once operationalized and scaled, will vastly improve identification and elimination of militants in domestic and international settings. More »
In possibly the largest natural experiment ever, data scientists test emotional contagion and convergence using mathematics, software algorithms, and a twist on classical psychological tenets, toeing the line of ethical responsibility and privacy protection. More »
Experimental research reveals that biometrics matched with artificial computers can help generate significantly more accurate security measures. More »