At the intersection of sociology and public policy, my work on urban governance and racial inequality aims to better understand and improve American cities.
Under this broad umbrella, my work spans 5 particular topics:
Bureaucracy: Inequality and Civilian-State Interaction.
I investigate bureaucratic encounter, or how everyday people interact with government - particularly on the local level. I take a dual approach, thinking both about how bureaucratic structures limit opportunities and reproduce inequality - but also about how civilians push back on these systems.
Housing: Local Policy, Displacement, and Affordability.
I evaluate the impact and efficacy of state interventions in housing. I aim to collaborate with community organizations and fellow scholars on projects focused on stemming ongoing crises of displacement and affordability.
Neighborhood Change: Social Impacts and Racialized Dimensions.
I study how places transform over time, what this means for the people that live there, and how they respond. I am particularly interested in the social and cultural impacts of gentrification on local communities - and, what race has to do with that process.
Public Participation: Contesting Culture and Power in Urban Places.
My current book project - tentatively entitled The Place Next Door: Culture, Commerce, and Conflict in the New New Orleans - examines public participation in commercial development processes. These negotiations, I argue, are not only about land use but also draw in contested issues of cultural identity, authenticity, economic interest, and quality of life. And they make light of power dynamics in contemporary cities: whose voices are heard and prioritized?
Policing: Order Maintenance and Inequality.
I critically examine “order maintenance” policing, or enforcement that is focused on low-level, quality-of-life concerns rather than criminal offenses. I think about the role of policing in the gentrifying city and how it reproduces racial inequality.
Banner image by Frank Relle.