News
Distracted Walking: A Critical Analysis of the Real Risks and Solutions
Dissecting the “Distracted Walking” Narrative Pedestrian deaths have risen by a staggering 35% between 2008 and 2017 in the United States. This alarming statistic has prompted widespread concern, with many attributing this to the rise of ‘distracted walking’. The...
New Research from Rubin et al.: The state takeover of the Camden City District schools and students’ academic performance
In March 2013, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced a state takeover of the Camden City School District. Michael S. Hayes, Julia Sass Rubin & Pengju Zhang examined the changes in students’ standardized test scores before and after the state takeover. Their findings do not support the positive evaluations of the state takeover by NJ political leaders. They discuss what explains the discrepancy between perceptions of the takeover and its actual impact on Camden students.
Garden State Open Data Index (GSODI)
This brief article selects excerpts from the GSODI report and comments on the growing importance of the open data movement by presenting a brief introduction to the GSODI, and the role of data characteristics in driving the quality of data-dependent AI applications.
Food Security Research
Urban Planning Mapping Networks, Resources, Gaps and Vulnerabilities in Middlesex County’s Emergency Food System During an Emergency Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on People, Pantries and Practices in the Emergency Food System Middlesex County Food Pantry...
Stamato Op-Ed: Grease from pork does not aid good governing
A new op-ed by Linda Stamato highlights concerns over the allocation of pork barrel earmark funds by New Jersey lawmakers. She argues that these funds, intended for local projects, are being distributed without proper transparency and accountability, leading to...
NJSPL – Satisfaction with Telehealth Among Adults with Chronic Disease
Chronic diseases are the leading causes of disability and death in the U.S., and often result in increased health burdens and high expenditures. With the increasing prevalence of chronic disease and its associated costs, it is important to understand how telehealth can alleviate barriers to care and improve outcomes for those with chronic illnesses.
Research says Dodd-Frank cuts interest costs
The Dodd-Frank Act's provisions to protect municipal issuers lowered interest costs in the muni market by a significant amount, according to research released Tuesday. "I estimate that for an average bond issue, Dodd-Frank resulted in about $600,000 in interest...
Mian’s “Transforming Empty Churches Into Affordable Housing” Makes Cover of Planning Magazine
Originally posted in the online May 2023 edition of Planning Magazine, the printed Summer 2023 edition prominently features Nadia Mian, PhD and Rick Reinhard’s article “Transforming Empty Churches Into Affordable Housing” with a photo of a modern dancer in a previous house of worship.
Paul on The Marc Steiner Show – America’s Lost Promise of Economic Rights
Inequality lies at the heart of contemporary American politics—from the dizzying power of corporations and the billionaire class to the racialized and gendered dimensions of wealth and income disparities. Yet the question of economic justice, as well as the struggle...
‘Not a perfect process’: How did the two versions of NJ’s budget differ?
As the process to craft New Jersey's state budget came to a chaotic close last month, rumors swirled about what needed to be done to ensure that the spending plan was final and complete by the time it made it to the governor’s desk. In each chamber of the Legislature,...
NJSPL – New Jersey Snapshot: Rising Population Yet Declining School Enrollments
Schools in NJ experienced a 2% decrease in enrollment from Fall 2010 to Fall 2021, and an additional 7% drop is projected to occur between Fall 2021 and Fall 2031. And yet in roughly the same amount of time, state’s population has increased overall by 5.5%. Understanding these trends will require further research to take into account a greater multitude of demographic variables.
The impossible paradox of car ownership
Arizona State University Professor David King and two colleagues, Michael Manville at UCLA and Michael Smart at Rutgers, decided to look at the falling socioeconomic status of carless people in the United States. In a paper published in 2019, they found that the...