During the most recent presidential election, the issue of raising the federal minimum wage was intensely debated. Political debates about the federal minimum wage often center on the effects of a minimum wage increase on employers’ labor decisions, changes in... More »
Over the course of the last two decades, there has been a significant trend toward urbanization worldwide as the promise of jobs and wealth has driven many people to relocate. A record 54 percent of the world’s population now lives in urban areas, with the lar... More »
Every time a trigger is pulled in Minneapolis, the creation of 80 potential jobs is blocked. While the traumatizing effects of gun violence have been studied extensively, its impact on economic activity has remained largely unexplored. A recent Urban Institute... More »
Gifted programs in U.S. schools help many students find the sort of academic success that opens the door to opportunities later in life. A recent Vanderbilt University study explores the depths of inequality in the assignment of black students to gifted progra... More »
The University of Chicago Crime Lab released a report in January 2017 that details the sudden spike in gun violence that persisted throughout 2016. The Crime Lab analyzed key data in an attempt to discover what triggered the dramatic increase in gun-related cr... More »
To combat poverty, state and local policymakers have increasingly turned to “place-based” policies that offer financial support, such as subsidies or tax abatements based on location. This assistance is meant to spur redevelopment and economic growth in a part... More »
Social scientists have long suspected that the demographic characteristics and attributes of neighborhoods affect the educational outcomes of the children who live in them. However, this hypothesis is challenging to test because people tend to self-select the ... More »
In 2016, Chicago struggled with the highest number of homicides the city has seen in more than a decade. Lawmakers are now scrambling to find solutions to curb the violence plaguing neighborhoods across the city. Recently, Illinois state legislators representi... More »
The Great Recession of the late 2000s impacted the lives of millions of people and caused upheaval in countless neighborhoods and cities. Nearly a decade since the recession began, we have seen some neighborhoods rebuild and recover, while others continue to f... More »
After decades of declining economic conditions and a mass population exodus from its urban center, St. Louis responded by forming a regional economic development system. Developed in early 2016, InveSTL is a unique collaboration among local community developme... More »
As many American cities try to determine the most effective mechanisms to revitalize their struggling neighborhoods, the concept of arts-led community development has become increasingly popular. Innovative efforts in this domain, such as the University of Chi... More »
Housing is the foundation of a family’s life. This basic need determines the surrounding environment, the schools children attend, access to amenities, and even economic opportunities. Due to the essential service that housing provides, the US federal governme... More »