Wenfei Xu

Measuring Residential Mobility: A Historical Overview of Novel Data and Methodological Approaches - Lance Freeman, Yeonhwa Lee, Yining Lei, Wenfei Xu, 2025 This review paper analyzes the evolution of data sources, methods, and challenges in measuring residential mobility in the United States since the turn of the 2...

From city directories to cell-phone data—how we review how residential mobility studies evolved over 125 years. Our new paper traces how planners and scholars have measured why, when, and where people move—and why it still matters for housing, equity, and place.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

🎧New episode of the #GLaDpodcast 🎧 @rsfrankl.bsky.social, @levijohnwolf.bsky.social and I liked talking to @wenfeixu.bsky.social so much that we invited her back! Come for the fancy data, stay for engaging conversation™️ and… an Exhibitions entry in your CV.

www.podbean.com/ew/pb-cfz7e-...

My essay, Beyond “Data Good” or “Data Bad” (please permit the facetious title!), explores how I approach novel forms of data analysis as part of a more pluralistic set of methodologies. I discuss how this perspective has shaped much of my work over the past several years.

Beyond “Data Good” or “Data Bad” - Spotlight On Counting the City

I'm pleased to have contributed an essay to the latest Spotlight On series from @ijurresearch.bsky.social called "Counting the City". The series has four essays on the ethics, methods, and politics of using big data to understand the city.

www.ijurr.org/spotlight-on...

Long time listener first time caller here! So GLaD to chat mobile phone data research with these folks.

Overview of AAG Detroit session papers and participants

More #AAG2025 session goodness! For the @geographers.bsky.social annual conference in Detroit next week, @darribas.bsky.social, Elizabeth Delmelle, Isabelle Nilsson and I have assembled four sessions chock full of the latest in spatial data, methods, and applications. Details 🔽 #geography

*Please repost* @sjgreenwood.bsky.social and I just launched a new personalized feed (*please pin*) that we hope will become a "must use" for #academicsky. The feed shows posts about papers filtered by *your* follower network. It's become my default Bluesky experience bsky.app/profile/pape...

Absolutely no mention of additional zoning reforms or anything about bolstering housing production other than 'experts say more production helps to lower costs.' It's honestly disappointing for a former HUD chief and governor, who's spent 30 years on these issues -- drive.google.com/file/d/1HyUV...

How did the US become a land of opportunity? In a new paper, we show that the country's pioneering role in mass education was key to its rise in intergenerational mobility from 1850 to 1950.

"America's Rise in Human Capital Mobility"
with Harriet Brookes Gray & Hugo Reichardt

I got laid off today, with the rest of 18F.

18F was an elite federal software shop. We made gov't websites work better, more efficiently for the American people. We saved taxpayers from getting screwed over by contractors. And were fired for it.

We made this website to tell our story:
18f.org

Upon learning that yesterday would be my last day as a program officer at the National Science Foundation, I shared this parting message with my colleagues. The next few months will be frenetic and stressful for them. Here are some things that you can do to help them with the mission ahead. (1)

Amazing! Congratulations Rachel!

Mac Properties diverts housing voucher holders from Hyde Park's desirable apartments, class-action suit says The complaint, filed in federal court, alleges Mac Properties systemically discriminates against voucher holders looking to rent in Mac’s newer, high-rise apartments in Hyde Park and steers them towar...

Terrible, monopolistic landlord in Hyde Park, Chicago, Mac Properties, is sued for housing discrimination, steering voucher holders away from some buildings and toward others.

Yay for Hope Fair Housing!

We wrote this piece last month based on our study using looking at the racial composition of police stops vs traffic camera stops for traffic violations. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, we found that police stops were much more biased against black drivers. Glad its making the rounds.

As Bluesky is growing 🥳, I have updated this starter pack with more people who post about cities, science, and policy.

go.bsky.app/Gf7viP1

Following the example of @maxnathan.bsky.social, it might be a good time to share this starter pack again. go.bsky.app/SeJAZa6

Reposting the urban economics and economic geography starter pack for all you new BlueSky arrivals #EconSky 📉📈 #geosky

go.bsky.app/DpxtxXn