Hopkins study: Many Baltimore-area residents see entrepreneurship as a path to financial success
April 30, 2025
Many Baltimore-area residents see entrepreneurship as a more viable pathway to improving their financial standing than traditional salaried employment, a new Johns Hopkins University study finds.
An unusually high number of Black Baltimoreans identify as entrepreneurs
April 29, 2025
New research shows that a quarter of residents in Baltimore and Baltimore County describe themselves as entrepreneurs. But that doesn’t mean we’re living in the land of opportunity.
Survey: About half of Baltimoreans felt impacted by Key Bridge collapse
April 2, 2025
About half of Baltimoreans say their daily lives are disrupted following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, according to a new survey.
It’s been one year since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. How did it change Baltimore?
March 26, 2025
Today, Midday a look at the past, present and future of the bridge and its surrounding communities.
March 25. 2025
Survey data released today by Johns Hopkins found continuing impacts on the daily lives of area residents as a result of the loss of the Key Bridge, which took out a stretch of the southeast part of the Baltimore Beltway, or I-695, that encircles the city.
Collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge impacted half of area residents, report finds
March 25, 2025
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge continued to impact the lives of nearly half of Baltimore-area residents for almost a year, according to a report by Johns Hopkins University.
Survey finds Baltimore residents still feeling impacts of Key Bridge collapse
March 25, 2025
Baltimore-area residents are still feeling the impact of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse one year after the disaster, according to a new study from Johns Hopkins University.
Baltimore gained population for the first time in a decade, new data shows
March 13, 2025
For the first time in a decade, Baltimore gained population. The city halted nine straight years of population decline in 2024, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. While the city’s population gain was marginal — only 0.1% — it could represent a turning point for a city where the population has declined by nearly 60,000 since 2010.
73% of Baltimore-area residents are concerned about the impact of climate change, JHU report says
March 7, 2025
Residents in the Baltimore area are concerned about the impacts of climate change, according to a report released by Johns Hopkins University Thursday.
Black Baltimoreans feel more climate anxiety, new survey finds
March 6, 2025
The survey found that Black residents like Broadwater are far more likely to feel climate anxiety than their white neighbors. Around 80% of Black respondents said they are at least somewhat concerned about personal harms from the changing climate, compared with 67% of white residents.
Who cares about climate change? JHU study claims to upend stereotypes
March 6, 2025
Baltimoreans who are black and wealthy - or poor and white - are the ones most likely to be concerned about climate change. That's according to a new Hopkins study, which found significant racial and economic differences in Baltimoreans' views on climate concerns.
Baltimore-area residents worry about effects of climate change on their lives
March 6, 2025
For Baltimore, climate change feels personal: Nearly three-quarters of city and county residents worry that climate change will hurt them, with that concern highest among the wealthiest Black households and the poorest white ones, according to a new report from the Johns Hopkins University's 21st Century Cities Initiative.
Survey of Baltimore-area residents shows slight decline in food insecurity in 2024
January 24, 2025
The number of food-insecure Baltimore-area residents declined by 7.5 percentage points between 2023 and 2024, according to a survey by Johns Hopkins. The Baltimore Area Survey (BAS) asked a group of 1,492 Baltimore City and County residents how they felt about food and transportation access, local government, schools and other aspects of life.
Hopkins survey: Fewer Black residents were food insecure in 2024, but racial disparity remains
January 23, 2025
Far fewer Baltimore-area residents experienced food insecurity in 2024 than in 2023, although food insecurity continues to disproportionately impact Black people, according to a new survey by Johns Hopkins University.
Survey shows decline in Baltimore-area food insecurity, though disparities persist
January 23, 2025
Fewer Baltimore-area residents experienced food insecurity last year than in 2023 even though researchers found profound racial disparities with hunger and access to grocery stores, according to the latest results from an annual survey by Johns Hopkins University's 21st Century Cities Initiative.
Hopkins survey: Black Baltimore-area residents less food insecure in 2024
January 23, 2025
A recent Johns Hopkins University survey found less food insecurity for Black Baltimoreans, as well as higher satisfaction with schools and local governments.
Fall 2024
If you want to know what’s on the minds of Baltimore residents, you have to ask them. They are best equipped to speak frankly about challenges, inequities, and quality of life in this city of more than 550,000 people.
Hopkins study reveals extent of opioid epidemic on Baltimore City residents
September 18, 2024
A Johns Hopkins University study reveals the extent of the opioid epidemic among Baltimore residents.
September 17, 2024
A community survey released Tuesday by Johns Hopkins University show that income level and educational attainment are more powerful than race at predicting whether a Baltimorean has lost someone close to them from a drug overdose.
The loss of Baltimore’s bridge has snarled traffic. How do commuters cope?
April 9, 2024
Part of what’s going to end up happening is a lot of truck traffic that had gone over the Key Bridge is now going to be going through the suburbs, and that’s going to cause problems on [Interstate] 695, which is the beltway in Baltimore.
An ambitious new annual survey of Baltimore’s residents aims to inform local policy
March 25, 2024
When Johns Hopkins researchers began developing the Baltimore Area Survey—a new annual appraisal of Baltimore City and County residents—they wanted to ask questions on hot-button issues that could inform local and state policy while also gauging the emotional state of the area’s residents.
With national spotlight on Baltimore, transportation equity problems shine through
February 26, 2024
A recent survey from Johns Hopkins 21st Century Cities Initiative found that one in five Baltimore area residents needed to “at least sometimes… reschedule an appointment, skipped going somewhere” or were otherwise inconvenienced by transportation in a 30 day window.
As budget season begins in Baltimore County, Olszewski ponders residents’ lack of trust
January 31, 2024
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski this week begins his annual budget town halls across the county. He’ll be meeting with hundreds of residents. Some of them, according to a recent poll, do not trust his government. The Baltimore Area Survey was conducted by Johns Hopkins 21st Century Cities Initiative.
Dan Rodricks: Hopkins study shows ‘local love’ wears thin with Baltimore city, county taxpayers
December 12, 2023
A recent Johns Hopkins University study of citizen attitudes in Baltimore and Baltimore County showed high opinions of local businesses and nonprofits, and the survey found that two-thirds of us believe the people in our communities can be trusted to do what is right.
What will it take to make Baltimore a climate-resilient, 21st-century city?
December 7, 2023
The 30-odd invitees — a diverse group of neighborhood activists, academics and city officials — were members of his Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative, or BSEC for short. The group was his mechanism for putting neighborhood concerns at the heart of the five-year, $25 million project that is primarily a scientific endeavor, driven by data in four
Different races, different lives: Baltimore-area survey pinpoints disparities
December 5, 2023
Baltimore-area residents’ daily experiences and outlooks differ substantially by race — how they view neighborhoods, police, schools — according to a new survey from Johns Hopkins University researchers.
Baltimore ahead of nation in people who have loved ones pass away from overdose
December 5, 2023
An inaugural survey from Johns Hopkins University is shedding light on how dangerous drug overdoses are in Baltimore city and county.
Survey finds ‘profound’ racial disparities in residents’ opinions of police, food insecurity
December 5, 2023
A survey from Johns Hopkins University offers a snapshot on Baltimore area residents’ perceptions of their city.
Few Baltimore-area residents trust local government, new survey says
December 5, 2023
Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday released a new Baltimore Area Survey as “an effort to measure aspects of life among Baltimore-Area residents.”
December 5, 2023
A new Johns Hopkins University survey shows a racial divide on feelings toward police, differences of physical and mental health perceptions based on educational background, and other key findings about quality of life issues in the Baltimore area.
Johns Hopkins survey finds Baltimoreans distrust government, transportation and food disparities
December 5, 2023
A new comprehensive annual survey is out from Johns Hopkins covering a variety of regional issues in the Baltimore area, from policing to food insecurity and transportation.
December 5, 2023
One in five Baltimore-area residents experiences food insecurity, more than a quarter have lost someone to drug overdose, and most residents trust organizations and businesses more than local government, a new survey from Johns Hopkins University’s 21st Century Cities Initiative shows.
Environmental Justice Funding Picking Up Steam In Chesapeake Bay Region
November 1, 2023
True to its name, the Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative project aims to engage a wide swath of the community in deciding what ought to be included in the five-year study.
Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative: Neighborhood Tours + Panel
October 1, 2023
Learn about the new Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative (BSEC) research initiative, implementing the most meaningful urban environmental measurement and modeling system in the world in collaboration with communities. You are invited to site visits in two of Baltimore’s Justice 40 neighborhoods: Broadway East and Old Goucher.
$25 Million to Improve Climate Conditions in Baltimore
September 23, 2023
Walk through the Old Goucher neighborhood in North Baltimore, and husbands Kelly Cross and Mateusz Rozanski will tell you how several of the tree-lined streets weren’t always filled with such greenery. The couple planted hundreds of trees and took out over 100 tons of concrete in the neighborhood over the past decade.
August 22, 2023
If you were to stand at the intersection of Maryland Avenue and West 24th Street in Baltimore’s Old Goucher neighborhood and travel back in time 10 years, you would probably be shocked at the transformation. Back then, pavement blanketed the neighborhood. Of the few trees growing along streets, many were sickly or misshapen.
Detroit Officials Discuss Innovative Street View Program at GovEx
July 6, 2023
Last week, GovEx and our sister center, the Bloomberg Center for Government Innovation (BCPI), together with 21st Century Cities hosted a presentation from Detroit officials Tamara Fant and Ted Schultz, who discussed their innovative Street View program.
New Report Underscores Why Minority-Led Banks Are Crucial To Communities of Color
June 20, 2023
Minority-led banks have seen remarkable and unprecedented growth since the pandemic. That’s good news, considering the link between the presence of such banks in a zip code and economic mobility for residents of color.
UpSurge Baltimore Examines Tech Sector’s Promise, Diversity in New Reports
March 22, 2023
The company worked with Johns Hopkins’ 21st Century Cities Initiative to develop the first-of-its-kind report on diversity in Baltimore’s tech sector. That study accompanies another, bigger-picture snapshot of the ecosystem at present.
Defending Baltimore Against Climate Change
February 15, 2023
A new partnership between Baltimore researchers and community organizations, led by Johns Hopkins University, has received funding to advance understanding of environmental conditions at the neighborhood level and prioritize environmental justice.
Putting a Price on Baltimore’s Vacant Housing
January 24, 2023
A recent report from the Johns Hopkins 21st Century Cities Initiative finds that Baltimore’s roughly 15,000 vacant properties cost the city an estimated $210M each year in lost revenue and other costs.
Urban Climate Lab Makes Holistic Appraisal of Resilience
November 17, 2022
The Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative will integrate environmental, health and community response data to drive potential climate solutions that support equity and resilience.
Federal Grant Aims to Make Baltimore a Laboratory for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience
October 28, 2022
The Baltimore integrated lab, to be part of the 21st Century Cities Initiative at John Hopkins University and slated to receive $25 million, will involve scientists, academics, researchers, climate modeling specialists and other experts from Hopkins, Pennsylvania State University, Morgan State University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, among others.
“Redlining Does Not End”: Talking with Rebecca Marchiel on Housing and Racism
With special thanks to Johns Hopkins University’s 21st Century Cities Initiative, I had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Marchiel about After Redlining. We discussed the last half century of housing policy (and policy history) and what her research suggests regarding the possibility of achieving progressive outcomes through the politics of self-interest.
Greater Baltimore Sees Biggest One-Year Decline in Bank Branches
It’s a large cost-saving measure that banks can implement, said Mac McComas, senior program manager for the 21st Century Cities Initiative at Johns Hopkins University. You see everybody go online and I think banks really took advantage of that moment to say, “Hey, we were already doing this slow optimization of where our branches are.
Bridging Baltimore’s Digital Divide: Three Advocates’ Perspectives
Forty percent of Baltimore’s 243 thousand households lack wired internet service. What would it take to get those homes connected, and to connect all of the city’s public institutions, our public housing units, our recreation centers, and our small businesses? What other cities can serve as paradigms?
Within the city, both the Black and white populations declined over the past decade, noted Mac McComas, senior program manager with the 21st Century Cities Initiative at Johns Hopkins University. The city’s Black population shrank by nearly 15% and the white population by about 10%.
Mac McComas: The Economic Road Ahead For Post-Industrial Cities
We begin today with a conversation about a new book that looks at the challenges facing six cites: Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and St Louis. How do the challenges these urban centers have to deal with differ from those of larger cities like New York or Los Angeles?
Achieving Digital Equity in Urban and Rural Maryland
On April 9, 2021, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Johns Hopkins University 21st Century Cities Initiative hosted a discussion on broadband infrastructure and access in urban and rural Maryland. The lack of access to quality broadband and the disparities across communities is an ongoing issue that has been exacerbated by the pandemic.
Short-term Rentals and the Right to Housing with David Wachsmuth
On April 1, 2021, David Wachsmuth joined Stuart Schrader for a discussion of new research on the relationship between the emergence of short-term rentals in U.S., gentrification, and affordable housing.
Neighborhoods and School Equity with Odis Johnson, Jr.
On March 25, 2021, Johns Hopkins’ 21st Century Cities Initiative hosted Odis Johnson, Jr., Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Social Policy and STEM Equity at Johns Hopkins, for a discussion of neighborhoods and school equity in American cities.
Unlocking the Potential of Baltimore and Other Cities
When it comes to launching an economic comeback in cities that have suffered decades of decline, Matthew E. Kahn and Mac McComas describe themselves as cautious optimists. In their new book, Unlocking the Potential of Post-Industrial Cities (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2021), Kahn and McComas explore why six cities—Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis—have seen a decline in population
The New Haven Debt Map: Debt and Vulnerability In An American City
Low- and moderate-income families in the United States are burdened by debt, from mortgages, credit cards, and student loans, to installment, payday, pawnshop and loans from friends and family, to arrears on obligations such as rent, utilities, taxes, legal-financial obligations, child support, and bank fees.
Here’s How Much It Could Cost to Close Baltimore’s Digital Divide
Johns Hopkins University has released a report that estimates how much it will cost to bring high speed internet access to the 40% of Baltimore residents without it… The report estimates that to service these individual households without internet service at an estimated cost per household per month ranging from $20 to $40, the necessary annual…
Study Details Economic Impact of Faster Train Service in Baltimore
A new study from John Hopkins University has found that faster commuter trains between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. could positively impact Baltimore’s economy… the faster trains might spur neighborhood redevelopment and provide Baltimore’s residents with easier access to higher-paying jobs in D.C., the study found.
Johns Hopkins Study Details How Faster Train Service Would Boost Baltimore Economy
Faster commuter trains between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. could have a profound economic impact on Maryland’s largest city by attracting an influx of District residents that could spur neighborhood redevelopment and by giving Charm City residents easier access to higher paying jobs in the nation’s capital, according to a new analysis from Johns Hopkins University’s 21s Century Cities Initiative.
Study Details How Faster Train Service Would Boost Baltimore Economy
Faster commuter trains between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. could have a profound economic impact on Maryland’s largest city by attracting an influx of District residents that could spur more neighborhood redevelopment and by giving Charm City residents easier access to higher paying jobs in the nation’s capital.
Two New Books by Economist Kahn Examine Potential of Cities, Responses to Climate Change
Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Matthew Kahn of the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School has authored two new books coming out a month apart in early 2021.
New Johns Hopkins Report Lays Out Plan To Lead Baltimore On Path To ‘Digital Equity’
Mac McComas is the co-author of a new report released by Johns Hopkins that lays out a plan that would start the city on the path to “digital equity.” “This recognizes that not everybody has equal access to the Internet and devices that let them connect to the Internet.
‘The Science Is Real’: Coastal Experts Hope Biden Will Partner to Combat Sea Level Rise
A recent study by the Johns Hopkins University 21st Century Cities Initiative and the American Flood Coalition estimated that investing $1 billion in projects to prevent or manage flooding would create 40,000 jobs.
Study: Cedar Rapids’ Investment in Flood Protection Fuels Local Economy
Such investment in flood protection infrastructure stimulates economies, driving business creation and job growth, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins University’s 21st Century Cities Initiative and the American Flood Coalition. In this report, released in December, Cedar Rapids serves as a case study of a city that leveraged investment from local, state and federal government…
A new economic study by Johns Hopkins University, in partnership with the American Flood Coalition, claims that $1 billion in flood resilience investments could create up to 40,000 new jobs in the United States.
Education and Racial Justice Expert Odis Johnson Joins Johns Hopkins
Odis Johnson, a leading researcher of social inequality in America and an expert in sociology and education, will join Johns Hopkins Jan. 1 as a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of social policy and STEM equity.
Flood Mitigation Projects Help Create Jobs
New research from Johns Hopkins University and the American Flood Coalition shows that robust public spending on flood mitigation creates tens of thousands of new jobs that could help the U.S. economy recover from one of its worst downturns in history.
When Playing Favorites Can Hurt Growth
The study finds that when provincial political leaders have preexisting ties to city leaders, those cities are more likely to acquire new industrial parks–but those sites produce 5.2 percent less GDP per capita than their counterparts in other cities, which lack the same political connections but have stronger economic fundamentals.
After Redlining Book Talk with Rebecca Marchiel
Rebecca K. Marchiel, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Mississippi, discussed her new book After Redlining: The Urban Reinvestment Movement in the Era of Financial Deregulation on this Johns Hopkins University webinar on Nov. 19, 2020.
Moving to Opportunity, Housing Mobility, and Health Outcomes in Baltimore and Beyond
Johns Hopkins 21st Century Cities Initiative hosted a virtual discussion of housing mobility initiatives and health outcomes on November 12, 2020. Research on the long term impact of the landmark Moving to Opportunity (MTO) experiment has shown significantly improved outcomes for children whose families were randomly provided with a voucher in the program.
Unlocking the Potential of Post-Industrial Cities
In February 2021, Johns Hopkins University Press published Unlocking the Potential of Post-Industrial Cities, a new book by Matthew E. Kahn and Mac McComas at JHU’s 21st Century Cities Initiative. The book explores synergistic investments in people, businesses, neighborhoods, and government in post-industrial cities including Baltimore.
Annelise Orleck: Workshop on Social Policy and Inequality
Annelise Orleck, Professor of History at Dartmouth, is our next speaker for the Johns Hopkins Workshop on Social Policy and Inequality. Professor Orleck will be discussing the forthcoming paper “And the Virus Rages on: “Contingent” and “Essential” Workers in the Time of COVID-19.”
Workshop on Inequality and Social Policy
The Johns Hopkins Workshop on Inequality and Social Policy brings together colleagues — faculty, graduate students, and interested undergraduates — from the Krieger School and around the university to examine the latest scholarship on inequality. Rooted fundamentally in the social sciences, the workshop will range widely to embrace a variety of perspectives.
The Geographical Impact of COVID on the Workplace & Employees
The 21st Century Cities Initiative and Bayard team up to discuss topics related to the geographical impact of COVID on the workplace and employees, including short- and long-term impact on office demand, who makes the first move out of major cities, if we will see high-skill workers move to remote locations, the lasting impact on...
Activity Space, Social Interaction and Health in Later Life
Kathleen Cagney, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Population Research Center at the University of Chicago, discusses the Chicago Health and Activity Space in Real Time (CHART) study on a webinar on June 8th at 12pm EST.
Activity Space, Social Interaction, and Health in Later Life
Kathleen Cagney, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Population Research Center at the University of Chicago, will discuss the Chicago Health and Activity Space in Real Time (CHART) study on a webinar on June 8th at 12pm EST.
Social Scientists Scramble to Study Pandemic, in Real Time
Economists are digging in as well. Matthew Kahn at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, has studied how industries cope with disasters. He and a collaborator are already gathering data to compare how companies are adjusting, depending on their supply chains and the different restrictions imposed by countries around the world.
Former Senator Calls for Participation in Census
“The Census is only as good as the methods it uses, the questions it asks and how the data is translated into public policy,” Mikulski said. “Federal funds are becoming more spartan. There has been a major disinvestment in cities and programs that help and empower the poor.”
Sarah Halpern-Meekin: Workshop on Inequality and Social Policy
Sarah Halpern-Meekin is an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Professor Halpern-Meekin will be discussing her new book, Social poverty: Low-income parents and the struggle for family and community ties.
James Heckman: The Economics of Inequality and Early Childhood Investments
Nobel laureate economist James Heckman, the Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago, will give a talk on the economics of inequality and early childhood investments.
Cooperatives Battle Displacement in Buenos Aires
21CC sponsored research project “Alternative Models of Housing in Buenos Aires, Argentina” led by Valeria Procupez, lecturer of Anthropology, Johns Hopkins University and Maria Carla Rodriguez, professor of Urban Sociology, University of Buenos Aires was featured in a report in the North American Congress on Latin America Report on the Americas.
Rogers Smith: Workshop on Inequality and Social Policy
Please join us for the Johns Hopkins Workshop on Social Policy and Inequality with Rogers Smith, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science At UPenn and President of the American Political Science Association, on Thursday, November 14 from 4:15-6:00PM, in Mergenthaler Hall Room 366, on the Homewood Campus.
JHU Study Reviews Baltimore Police Officer Pay
A new report shows a Baltimore police officer’s median pay is as high as that of a New York City police officer thanks in large part to overtime pay. The report completed by the 21st Century Cities Initiative at Johns Hopkins University was sparked, its authors said, by a story about who leads the list of highest-paid…
Rhiannon Jerch: Workshop on Social Policy and Inequality
Rhiannon Jerch is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the 21st Century Cities Initiative at Johns Hopkins University. Rhiannon will be discussing her most recent paper “The Local Consequences of Federal Mandates: Evidence from the Clean Water Act.”
21st Century Cities Initiative Hosts Discussion on School Integration in Baltimore
Rucker Johnson, the Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, discussed his new book Children of the Dream: Why School Integration Works on Friday.
Rucker Johnson: Children of the Dream Book Talk
Rucker C Johnson, Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, gave a talk about his new book, Children of the Dream: Why School Integration Works in the Mason Hall auditorium on the Hopkins Homewood campus on Friday, October 18, 2019.
Passion to Action: Three Approaches to Tackling Climate Change
Please join 21st Century Cities, Centers for Civic Impact, and the SNF Agora Institute as we discuss our varying approaches to tackling urgent public policy challenges.
A House Divided: Geographic Disparities in Twenty-First Century America
1CC Director Matthew Kahn will speak at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s 63rd Economic Conference on October 5, A House Divided: Geographic Disparities in Twenty-First Century America about Alternative Approaches to Measuring the Quality of Life.
When Climate Change Leads to Mortgage Defaults
Climate change poses risks to real estate that homebuyers may not be able to predict. As sea level rises, coastal properties, for example, may be subject to increased flooding and intensifying storm surges.
Henry Hart Rice Urban Policy Forum: The Urban Climate Change Resilience Challenge
21CC Director Matthew Kahn will give the Henry Hart Rice talk at NYU on October 2, titled The Urban Climate Change Resilience Challenge.
U.S. Taxpayers Are at Risk for Homes Threatened by Climate Change
Banks are selling mortgages on homes in coastal areas around the U.S. that are vulnerable to natural disasters to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, a study finds. That could leave taxpayers footing the bill because the two government-sponsored enterprises buy the mortgages without adequately accounting for the heightened property risks.
Climate Change Could Impact Your Mortgage Even If You Live Nowhere Near a Coast
Some banks are cutting their own climate-change exposure by selling riskier disaster-area mortgages to taxpayer-supported entities. That puts the health of the mortgage market at risk, a potential repeat of the financial conditions at the root of the banking crisis a decade ago, a research paper published Monday argues.
The 21st Century Cities Initiative at Johns Hopkins is hosting Brad Humphreys, Professor of Economics at WVU to give a talk titled “Caught Stealing? The pros and cons of subsidies for professional sports facilities and their impact on cities” on Thursday, October 10 in the Mason Hall Auditorium on the Homewood Campus from 6:30-8pm.
Mortgage Lenders Are Shifting Climate Risks Onto Taxpayers, Study Finds
Mr. Ouazad, along with his co-author Matthew Kahn, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, examined the behavior of mortgage lenders in areas hit by hurricanes between 2004 and 2012, each of which caused at least $1 billion in damages.
The 21st Century Cities Initiative (21CC) hosts regular Urban Policy and Pizza events for Hopkins undergraduates that give students a chance to learn about the newest academic literature on urban topics and discuss new and innovative policy proposals in Baltimore City and around the world.
Radio Health Journal: Heat and Violence
Violence increases as temperatures rise in the summer, but are higher temperatures a cause of aggression? New research shows that the answer is yes, especially in family conflict, and that poor neighborhoods bear the brunt of the relationship.
Medicine for the Greater Good with Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos
Matthew Kahn invites Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos to discuss his initiative Medicine for the Greater Good which seeks to forge better connections between medical health professionals and the communities they serve by understanding the diverse needs of patients and socioeconomic barriers to health care access.
Here’s The Best Place To Move If You’re Worried About Climate Change
Matthew Kahn has dreamed about buying a climate change retreat. If anybody would know where to go, you’d think it would be an environmental economist who literally wrote the book on which cities will adapt to a warming world and how they’ll do it.
Humanity Will Find Ways to Adapt to Climate Change
As demand rises for ways to ease the pain of climate change, supply will respond. A growing market for goods prompts producers to innovate—and work by Matthew Kahn of Johns Hopkins University and Daxuan Zhao of Renmin University suggests that the same logic applies to adaptation.
21st Century Cities Initiative Brings Harvard Analyst Thomas Abt to Baltimore
Thomas Abt, senior researcher at the Center for International Development, presented the findings of his book Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence — and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets at the Bloomberg School of Public Health on Tuesday.
Accurate Census Count Critical for Baltimore Kids
With the 2020 census looming, how the city counts Baltimore’s children will be critical to how well we’re able to take care of them.
21st Century Cities Initiative Hires New Director Matthew Kahn
The 21st Century Cities (21CC) Initiative, an on-campus center for students and faculty interested in using data to solve modern urban challenges, hired Matthew Kahn as its new director in June. In an interview with The News-Letter, the noted urban and environmental economist reflected on his life, career and goals for 21CC.
On August 27, 21CC and IDIES hosted The Johns Hopkins University 2019 Urban Spaces Symposium, Urban Spaces in Baltimore: Data Science in the City.
How the Economy, Energy, and Tech Show Up in “Mad Max”
Marketplace’s” Jed Kim spoke with Matthew Kahn, an economist at Johns Hopkins University, about the energy technology and economics on display in “Mad Max.” He said that for him, the movie shows how free markets falter in a post-apocalyptic world.
Climate Change Could Cost the U.S. 10.5% of Its GDP by 2100, Study Warns
Plastic pollution found in the world’s oceans and the melting permafrost in the Arctic could have startling economic burdens, perhaps as much as $2.5 trillion and $70 trillion, respectively.
Heat and Crime on Vox’s The Weeds
21CC Director Matthew Kahn’s new research on the relationship between heat and crime is discussed on Vox’s podcast The Weeds.
Baltimore Area Needs a Regional Economic Development Strategy
In the last five to 10 years, it would seem as though Baltimore is finally emerging (at least economically) — from its slow, multi-decade decline. But if you’re a resident of one of the city’s poorer neighborhoods, you might not know it.
Matthew Kahn to Speak at the 63rd Economic Conference of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
21CC Director Matthew Kahn will speak at the 63rd Economic Conference of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, A House Divided: Geographic Disparities in Twenty-First Century America on October 4-5, 2019 at the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston. Professor Kahn will speak on a panel titled “Alternative Approaches to Measuring the Quality of Life.”
Matthew Kahn to Give Keynote at 6th Urbanization and Poverty Reduction Research Conference
21CC Director Matthew Kahn will give a keynote at the 6th Urbanization and Poverty Reduction Research Conference at the World Bank in DC on September 9, 2019. Professor Kahn will discuss “People, Accessibility and Social Outcomes in Cities.”
The 21st Century Cities Initiative and the Urban Health Institute at Johns Hopkins welcome Thomas Abt for a discussion of his new book Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence – and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets on September 10 from 5:30-7pm in Sheldon Hall (W1214) 615 N. Wolfe Street.
Matthew Kahn Discusses Climate Change and Increasing Crime Rates
21CC Director Matthew Kahn discusses the relationship between rising global temperatures and crime rates.
Matthew Kahn Speaks at the 8th Annual Municipal Finance Conference
21CC Director Matthew Kahn presented at the 8th annual Municipal Finance Conference at the Brookings Institution on July 15, 2019 about municipal finance and climate change adaptation.
21CC Director Matthew Kahn spoke at the International Monetary Fund on July 8th, 2019 about the critical role of markets in adapting to climate change.
Urban Economist Matthew Kahn to Lead Johns Hopkins 21st Century Cities Initiative
Matthew E. Kahn will serve as the new director of 21st Century Cities, the university’s hub for urban research, education, and outreach. “Dr. Kahn’s prolific research on urban and environmental challenges has established him as one of the leading economists in the world,” says Sunil Kumar, JHU provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.
Heat Waves Precipitate More Crime in Poor Areas, Study in L.A. Finds
Police Departments have long been aware of the correlation between heatwaves and higher crime, but new data measures how poor neighborhoods suffer far more than richer areas.
Higher Temperatures Can Lead to More Violent Crime, Especially in Poorer Neighborhoods
A new study by 21CC’s Matthew E. Kahn analyzed data from the Los Angeles Police Department.
The Local Impact of Bank Mergers on Small Business Lending: A Baltimore Example
The relocation of BB&T’s and SunTrust Bank’s headquarters from Winston-Salem and Atlanta to Charlotte will undoubtedly have an effect on those markets, but how will the other 78 markets where the banks have overlapping branch operations fare?
21CC Funds 15 New Urban Research Projects Both Local and Global
Johns Hopkins University’s 21st Century Cities Initiative, a hub for urban research, recently awarded 15 seed grants to faculty and doctoral researchers pursuing projects in Baltimore and beyond. Seven JHU faculty-led studies—including projects pertaining to female entrepreneurship, the effect of urban green spaces on environmental quality, and the impact of the federal Opportunity Zones program.
As Hopkins Expands into D.C., What Does That Mean for Baltimore?
Last Friday, many of us received an email that Hopkins had purchased the building that currently houses the Newseum, a museum in Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to promoting freedom of speech… To be sure, the University has made some substantial efforts to give back to Baltimore.
Balancing the Scales of Investment in Baltimore
Like a lot of American cities, contemporary Baltimore has two types of neighborhoods: Those few areas in and around downtown, where capital is relatively easy to access, and the more common outlying neighborhoods, often historically disinvested and constrained by legacy policies like redlining, where capital is scarce and lending for small businesses is relatively difficult.
Reinventing the Public Mission of Higher Education
The 2018 HER will open an international dialogue on Reinventing the Public Mission of Higher Education: Policies and Practice. The goal is to provide a platform for researchers, senior higher education policymakers, and higher education leaders who seek to expand engagement in this question and to explore and promote new solutions at local, national and international levels.
Investing In Opportunity: Addressing the Root Causes of Civil Unrest in Baltimore
April 2015 will forever be viewed as a turning point in Baltimore’s history. That month, a young Baltimorean named Freddie Gray died of spinal injuries while in police custody after being arrested near his West Baltimore home for allegedly possessing an illegal knife.
Financing Baltimore’s Growth: Venture Capital Support for Small Companies
In 2017, the Johns Hopkins 21st Century Cities Initiative documented financial flows to small companies located in the City of Baltimore, considering both working capital and venture capital.
Strengthening Access to Capital for Minority-Owned Small Businesses
On Friday, September 14, 2018, the United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship held a field hearing at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland to discuss strengthening access to capital for minority-owned small businesses.
2018 21st Century Neighborhoods Symposium: Reinventing Our Communities
The 21st Century Cities Initiative (21CC) at Johns Hopkins University is pleased to announce that the 2018 edition of our Symposium—21st Century Neighborhoods: Research. Leadership. Transformation.—will be incorporated into the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s 2018 Reinventing Our Communities: Investing in Opportunity Conference to be held at the Hilton Baltimore on October 1-3, 2018.
Report: Small Business Lending in Baltimore Down
Small business lending in Baltimore has fallen off over the past 10 years even as deposits continued to grow, a Johns Hopkins University report found. Much of the changes have been brought about through a number of post-recession changes, including mergers and acquisitions in the banking industry that led to Baltimore becoming a “branch town."
Financing Baltimore’s Growth: Strengthening Lending to Small Businesses
In 2017, the Johns Hopkins University 21st Century Cities Initiative published a report on the capacity of the financing system to support small businesses and startups in Baltimore City. The report covered both venture capital and loan capital flowing to small firms located in Baltimore, documenting $500-600 million in annual investments.
Placelinking: An Emergent Approach to Improving Economic Mobility Outcomes
Neighborhoods, including their schools, housing stock, access to jobs, and social capital, impact the long-term economic success of children. Thanks to Raj Chetty’s and Nathan Hendren’s groundbreaking research, the ability to quantify this impact is now possible.
Significant attention has been paid in recent years to the alarming increase in household income inequality in the United States. However, neighborhood income inequality has been rising at an even faster rate.
Poverty & Race: Reflections on Kerner at 50
The Poverty & Race Research Action Council’s (PRRAC) most recent issue of Poverty & Race featured reflections from several speakers at our Race and Inequality in America: The Kerner Commission at 50 conference held in March 2018 in Baltimore and Berkeley, including Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen.
Opportunity Zones Are Knocking: Will Baltimore Be Prepared?
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 established a new, federal tax incentive for Opportunity Zones intended to spur investment in low-income communities. For cities like Baltimore, Opportunity Zones have the potential to be a valuable resource for inclusive growth.
21st Century Neighborhoods 2017 Symposium Recap
More than 350 city leaders and experts from across the U.S. attended the second annual 21st Century Neighborhoods Symposium in Baltimore, MD on Dec. 4-5, 2017.
Conference Reflects on Racial Inequality in U.S.
The Hopkins 21st Century Cities Initiative partnered with the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at the University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley) to host a conference titled “Race and Inequality in America: The Kerner Commission at 50” on Feb. 28 and March 1.
Workshop on Inequality and Social Policy with Laura Tach
We are pleased to invite you to the Johns Hopkins Workshop on Social Policy and Inequality with Laura Tach, Associate Professor of Policy Analysis and Management and Sociology at Cornell University, on Thursday, March 15 from 4:00-5:30PM in Gilman Hall, Room 130G on the Homewood Campus. Laura’s research focuses on poverty and social policy.
Daniels: Lack of Progress on Race, Equity in U.S. Over Past Half Century Implicates ‘All of Us’
In the summer of 1967, as racial tensions fueled by economic inequality boiled over in violent riots across the nation, President Lyndon B. Johnson tasked a small, bipartisan commission with answering three key questions: What happened? Why did it happen? And what could be done to prevent it from happening again?
21st Century Neighborhoods Symposium: New Mayors Video Highlights
Last December’s 21st Century Neighborhoods Symposium in Baltimore kicked off with a captivating conversation among new mayors and their visions for 21st century American cities. In 2017, more than 40 new mayors took office in U.S. cities with populations of 100,000 or more, bringing with them fresh ideas and renewed energy for shaping cities into hubs.
Race and Inequality in America: The Kerner Commission at 50 Recap
A recap of the conference exploring race, segregation, and inequality 50 years after the release of the historic Kerner Commission Report.
Can Baby Bonds Help Close Baltimore’s Wealth Gap?
The National Asset Scorecard for Communities of Color is a project that assesses the level of, and nuances of, wealth disparities in cities across the country. At the 21st Century Neighborhoods 2017 Symposium, the projects lead investigators, Dr. Darrick Hamilton and Dr. Sandy Darity discussed their current work on wealth disparities in Baltimore.
Retired Sen. Barbara Mikulski and Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels spoke to 350 city leaders, scholars, experts and advocates from across the U.S. at a symposium focused on discussing urban issues like economic segregation.
Suzanne Mettler: The Government-Citizen Disconnect, December 7, 2017
Suzanne Mettler, Clinton Rossiter Professor of American Institutions in the Department of Government at Cornell University will be discussing chapters one and four from her book manuscript, The Government-Citizen Disconnect. You can read them here. Daniel Schlozman of the Department of Political Science and Andy Cherlin of the Department of Sociology will serve as discussants.
Federal teams are working intensively in over 20 high-need cities, regions and tribal nations around the country. These teams align resources from across the Federal government and work behind the scenes to build local talent and capacity so that communities like Detroit and Baltimore can emerge from crisis.
A Data-driven Look at the Challenges Faced by Baltimore’s Business Ecosystem
The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School hosted an event at the school’s Harbor East campus last week to present and discuss a comprehensive report analyzing the strengths and limitations of the financing ecosystem within Baltimore.
Cradle to Kindergarten: A New Plan to Combat Inequality
Authors Ajay Chaudry, PhD, and Taryn Morrissey, PhD, will discuss their new book, “Cradle to Kindergarten: A New Plan to Combat Inequality,” which offers an evidence-based strategy diagnosing the obstacles to accessible early education and charts a path towards opportunity for all children. A panel discussion will follow.
Financing Baltimore’s Small Businesses: A Progress Report
Baltimore is home to approximately 50,000 small businesses, more than half of which are minority owned. What do those businesses need to sustain themselves and to grow? What do entrepreneurs who dream of establishing their own companies need to get started?
Abell Foundation’s Embry Says Demand for Startup Capital Outstrips Supply
Originally published in the Baltimore Business Journal Abell Foundation President Robert C. Embry Jr. says he knows of startups that would be willing to move to Baltimore, he just needs the money to attract them. The Baltimore-based Abell Foundation is known for providing grants but it has become a growing venture capital investor.
Sagamore’s Costa: Md. Companies Should Get Tax Credits for Spending Locally
A recent report by the Carey Business School’s 21st Century Cities Initiative found that Baltimore needs to grow its finance system in order for its small businesses and economy to flourish. The report also found that there is a disconnect between small business owners and investors.
Banks Aren’t Lending Enough to Baltimore Small Businesses, Scully Says
A recent report by the 21st Century Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School found that Baltimore’s financing system needs to grow so that small businesses will have more access to capital. The report also identified an underlying issue of how to connect investors with the available capital.
Nearly 70 Percent of Venture Capital Comes From Outside of MD
Almost 70 percent of venture capital investments for start-ups in Baltimore are coming from outside of Maryland, according a Johns Hopkins report released last week. That is causing some businesses to relocate out of state, while others have stayed.
Baltimore Needs More Small Business Investors From Baltimore
Over the past few years, Baltimore small businesses are attracting more capital than you might expect, but the nature and sources of that capital have some profound implications for the future of those businesses. That’s according to “Financing Baltimore’s Growth: Measuring Small Companies’ Access to Capital,” a new report from Johns Hopkins University’s 21st Century Cities Initiative.
Baltimore Needs Better Financing System to Help Small Businesses Grow, Flourish in City, Report Says
Baltimore, a city with clear economic assets and competitive advantages, should have a more robust financing system to cultivate a range of startups and small businesses, concludes a new report by Johns Hopkins University’s 21st Century Cities Initiative.
Report: Baltimore Needs Stronger Financing System to Bring More Capital to Startups
Startups in Baltimore have seen an uptick in funding over the last several years, but a “more robust” financing system is needed to help them grow. That’s one of the main takeaways from Johns Hopkins’ 21st Century Cities Initiative. It’s called “Financing Baltimore’s Growth: Measuring Small Companies’ Access to Capital.”
Report: Baltimore Needs More Robust Financing System for Small Businesses
Baltimore needs a more robust financing system to help small businesses grow and to attract new companies. That’s the conclusion of a new report by Johns Hopkins University’s 21st Century Cities Initiative that evaluated access to venture capital funding and small business loans for startup companies and more established Main Street small businesses.
Report: Baltimore Small Businesses Need More Capital
Baltimore must do more to attract venture capital and other financing for its small businesses and startup companies, a new report from Johns Hopkins University’s 21st Century Cities Initiatives found. While available capital and financing has improved over the last decade, the study found that greater availability elsewhere has led companies to other cities.
Smart Cities: 21CC Featured on Future City with Wes Moore
Wes Moore, host of WYPR’s Future City, talks with 21st Century Cities Initiative Executive Director Ben Seigel about how applied research can help cities run better.
Hopkins initiative aims to solve entrenched problems in Baltimore and other cities
A sociologist studying whether involving immigrants in neighborhood groups can ease crime, an education professor using housing data to predict school enrollment and an astronomer applying his expertise in big data to the city’s vacant problems are all part of a new program at the Johns Hopkins University designed to help Baltimore.
How Can Baltimore City Prevent Housing Abandonment?
The best housing vacancy information currently available—from the American Community Survey—produces census tract–level estimates only every five years. As a result, city planners are almost always working with obsolete information when looking for vacant houses.
2017 Applied Research Seed Grant Awardees Announced
Johns Hopkins University’s 21st Centuries Cities Initiative is making a significant investment in urban policy improvements, doling out $204,000 for six new research projects.
On April 20, 2017, the 21st Century Cities Initiative (21CC) at Johns Hopkins University hosted a community forum about coming of age in Baltimore. The event, which was a continuation of the Redlining Baltimore series, brought together community organizers, scholars, students, policymakers, advocates, and civic leaders to better understand the myriad challenges youth face.
Bell-McKoy and other CEOs and leaders took part in a discussion titled “Investing in Baltimore” at Johns Hopkins University on Wednesday evening. The event was presented by JHU’s 21st Century Cities Initiative.
21CC’s Visiting Scholars Series brings urban policy researchers to Johns Hopkins University for open-campus discussions on new research and policy solutions within 21CC’s areas of focus, including economic inclusion and neighborhood transformation.
Living on $2 a Day: Poverty and Food Equity in America
In this episode of Add Passion and Stir, the 21st Century Cities Initiative’s faculty director Kathy Edin ($2 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America) and Washington, DC area social entrepreneur Tom McDougall of 4P Foods have a powerful and timely discussion with Share Our Strength founders Billy and Debbie Shore about poverty in America.
Using Astronomy To Fight Urban Blight
Almost 17,000 houses sit boarded-up and vacant throughout Baltimore. These are the ones deemed officially unlivable by the city, some with rooftops or walls missing. But those structures represent just a fraction of a larger problem.
Preemption Prevents Innovation: We must not let states squash local policy experimentation
As the battle lines are forming between so-called sanctuary cities and the Trump administration, local jurisdictions across the country ought to be bracing for a much larger federalism fight: the stifling of social and economic progress by their own state governments.
The University as Pillar of the Community
Hopkins has also begun an attempt to foster collaborations between university researchers and city governments nationwide, known as the 21st Century Cities Initiative. Kathryn Edin, Bloomberg professor in Hopkins’ department of sociology and a specialist in the study of urban poverty, is its director.
JHU’s 21st Century Cities Initiative Offers New Round of Seed Grants for Urban Policy Projects
The issue of widespread vacant properties in Baltimore is well-documented, but for policymakers, a bird’s eye view has been lacking. The city’s records on these buildings—more than 16,000 of them—are scattered and hard to interpret. A Johns Hopkins-launched project aims to tackle that challenge.
21st Century Cities Initiative Now Accepting Grant Applications
Johns Hopkins University’s 21st Century Cities Initiative is accepting applications for its Spring 2017 Applied Research Seed Grant Program. The grants, expected to average $35,000, will support the development of new, cross-disciplinary research that meaningfully engages policymakers and/or practitioners in cities.
Nearly a year after the April 2015 uprising, the 21st Century Cities Initiative launched the ‘Redlining Baltimore’ series, a forum to better understand geographies of exclusion in Baltimore City. The four-part series, which was hosted by actress and activist Sonja Sohn, brought residents, academics, artists, activists and civil leaders together.
JHU Study Reviews Baltimore Crime Data Since Riots
A Johns Hopkins University study that reviewed recent reported crime data from Baltimore City police concludes Commissioner Kevin Davis has had a stabilizing effect on city crime, not a revolutionary one.
Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis An Evening With Robert D. Putnam
This event is open to the public. Seating is limited so advance registration is required by November 11. Special thank you to: The Bloomberg School of Public Health This event is made possible by generous support from: PNC Bank, Legg Mason, M&T Bank, and Child Care Foundation, Inc.
More than 250 city leaders and experts from across the U.S. attended the inaugural 21st Century Neighborhoods Symposium in Baltimore, MD on Sept. 15-16, 2016.
Federal Employees Learn How to Tailor Government Resources to Cities’ Needs
The day-long training sessions, facilitated in part by the 21st Century Cities Initiative, address issues of urban poverty, economic inclusion and opportunity, and neighborhood development. Additional training retreats are being scheduled for the fall, when 21CC also plans to publish a manual outlining how federal teams can cross-partner with other agencies to address problems.
Final Event in Redlining Baltimore Series Examines Paths for the City’s Future
The Redlining Baltimore conversation series concluded Wednesday night with a discussion about how to turn the talk into action at a time when the city faces a window of opportunity with new leaders and invigorated activism.
Baltimore’s Wealth Disparities: Panelists Discuss Barriers to Economic Inclusion
“What would Baltimore look like if there was more equity?” asked Diane Bell-McKoy, president of Associated Black Charities, at a Redlining Baltimore conversation series event on Wednesday. For one, the city could see an additional $3.3 billion in revenue with an “economic renaissance” of African-Americans, Bell-McKoy’s foundation has projected.
Tale of Two Baltimores: Experts Discuss Roots of City Health Disparities
Speaking at the second event of the Redlining Baltimore conversation series sponsored by Johns Hopkins University’s 21st Century Cities Initiative, Lawrence Brown, an assistant professor at Morgan State University’s School of Community Health and Policy, began the discussion with an overview of the history of redlining.
I was raised in the valley of the shadow of death where they played with our patience til there was none left and that was way before the riots. Way before the quiet that the curfew brought at night dont know what you thought was right but half a billion dollar casino verses schools close…
Jazz Musician, Peabody Alum Composes Musical Response to Baltimore’s April 2015 Unrest
Jazz musician and composer Jarrett Gilgore debuts two projects this month that grew out of his time in the Peabody Institute’s jazz program—a study of the music of the late alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons, and a commission to compose a new work to be a part of the Redlining Baltimore speaker series.
First ‘Redlining Baltimore’ Event Explores Discrimination Past and Present
Of all the race-related issues to delve into in Baltimore, redlining isn’t the most immediately provocative. “It’s not as sexy as the riots,” said 17-year-old activist Makayla Gilliam-Price, who spoke last night at the Motor House in Station North as part of the first of four “Redlining Baltimore” conversations, hosted by Johns Hopkins University.
Redlining Baltimore: Exploring Systemic Discrimination Through Art & Discussion
If you’re unfamiliar with the term “redlining,” the easiest way to explain it—specifically to Baltimore—is by looking at a map of the city. Notice how our city’s major highways divide neighborhoods—from 95 to 83—these cement barriers separate what are recognizably contrasting neighborhoods, both visually and economically; and that was precisely by design.
Johns Hopkins Series to Examine Reasons for Unrest
The images of violence during the unrest in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray almost a year ago will be etched in the minds of many of those in Baltimore for years to come. In April, Johns Hopkins University tackles the underlying issues of that unrest in a series called “Redlining Baltimore.”
New Study Debunks ‘Ferguson Effect’ In Baltimore
A new study released by Johns Hopkins University found that the ‘Ferguson Effect’ may be a myth. The term was first used by FBI director James Comey to describe what he says is a link between increased crime rates and heightened police scrutiny following protests sparked by officer-involved shootings of black people in places like Ferguson MO., Chicago and Baltimore.
A “Ferguson effect” likely slowed arrests in Baltimore well before the April 2015 unrest related to the arrest and death of Freddie Gray, but there is little evidence to suggest it had any effect on the city’s crime rate, a new report concludes.
Quick, Responsive, and Creative
What blighted blocks in Baltimore are more likely to need demolition — and which are not? When are strategic interventions from city agencies likely to push rehabilitation — not just of a single building, but of an entire neighborhood?
Department of Labor Official Joins JHU’s 21st Century Cities Initiative
Ben Seigel, a Baltimore native who helped design the Obama administration’s place-based strategy and led the federal government’s effort to address deep-rooted issues in Baltimore after last year’s unrest, has joined a Johns Hopkins University project to strengthen cities with similar urban challenges.
White House Official Discusses Shift in Approach to Tackling Poverty
Shaun Donovan, director of the Office of Management and Budget, visits Johns Hopkins for conversation with sociologist Kathryn Edin.
Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Finds Evidence of Third-world Poverty in the U.S.
Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Kathryn Edin, who holds a joint appointment in both the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Bloomberg School of Public Health, has been researching urban family structure and poverty for more than two decades.
Kathryn Edin Reveals the Lives of People Who Live on $2 a Day
Kathryn Edin has been an itinerant scholar of the poor for more than 20 years. She is a sociologist who works like an anthropologist, melding numbers and narrative to examine in illuminating detail the lives of poor people all over the United States.
21st Century Cities on the Rise
Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Kathryn Edin named director of 21st Century Cities Initiative.
Johns Hopkins Helps Launch Computer, Engineering Lab in Baltimore Elementary/Middle School
Barclay school, located blocks from the university’s Homewood campus, adapts modified curriculum, opens new lab space.
Former Head of Analytics at FEMA Joins Johns Hopkins Center for Government Excellence
Carter Hewgley, former head of analytics for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has joined a Johns Hopkins University project to make cities’ data more accessible and help solve urban problems. Hewgley will serve as director of analytics and performance at the university’s new Center for Government Excellence (GovEx).
SOE Professor Awarded 21st Century Cities Initiative Grant
SOE Professor Karl Alexander was recently awarded a grant from the 21st Century Cities Initiative to launch the Thurgood Marshall Alliance (TMA). The goal of TMA is to help build and sustain a network of Baltimore schools with diverse enrollments in terms of family income, race, and ethnicity.
Under the umbrella of the university’s 21st Century Cities Initiative, researchers have launched a set of projects examining Baltimore in relation to the unrest following Freddie Gray’s death. “We’re trying to reimagine what a research university can do in the face of a crisis like this,” says Kathryn Edin.
In the wake of the tragic death of Freddie Gray in police custody, our city entered a wrenching moment marked by pockets of violence and days of peaceful protest. At the time, I reached out not only to you and other members of our university community, but also to our newest Hopkins family members: the admitted…
Project gives city youth a chance to share their perspectives in wake of Freddie Gray’s death and the resulting protests, unrest.
Johns Hopkins Experts Engage in an Interactive Dialogue about Our Cities
Hopkins experts joined alumni, students, parents, and friends for a chance to engage in an important conversation about the 21st Century Cities Initiative.
New York Open-Data Program Chief Joins Johns Hopkins Center for Government Excellence
Andrew Nicklin, former head of groundbreaking open-data programs in New York city and state, has joined a Johns Hopkins University project to make cities’ data more accessible and help solve urban problems. Nicklin will serve as director of open data at the university’s new Center for Government Excellence.
Johns Hopkins’ 21st Century Cities Initiative Deploys Researchers in Wake of Baltimore Unrest
In the thick of Baltimore’s chaos two weeks ago, a group of Johns Hopkins University faculty members started emailing one another. “We looked around and said, ‘Where’s the Hopkins response to this?'” says Stephen Morgan, a professor of sociology and education.
New Johns Hopkins Center to Promote Data-driven Local Government
The Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins, established with a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, aims to assist more than 100 U.S. cities in creating data infrastructures to transform the way their governments operate.
Feeding the 21st Century City Event Recap
Feeding the 21st Century City, a recent panel discussion by experts and leaders in the fields of food policy, sustainability, and economics, addressed questions of food inequality and considered ways that accessible, affordable, nutritious food could be made available across demographic groups in the 21st century city.
Md. Gov. O’Malley Joins Johns Hopkins as Visiting Professor
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has joined Johns Hopkins University’s Carey Business School as a visiting professor focusing on government, business, and urban issues.
