In the papers gathered here, we aim to showcase experiments in spatial representation beyond place markers and polygons on maps, from demos of new tools and historical reclamations of pre-GIS representation techniques, to theoretical engagement with the ontology of mapping and representation itself.
Topic
Will Payne
What ‘Chicken-Gate 2026’ Tells Us About Modern Restaurant Economics and the Affordability Crisis in NYC
What began as a New York City councilman's social media post about the cost of a half-chicken at a Greenpoint wine bar quickly turned into a broader discussion about restaurant economics and the state of dining in an era of rising costs. The article traces the ripple...
President Trump’s Housing Proposals: What They Really Mean for New Jersey Homebuyers and Sellers
The author cites a recent report from the New Jersey State Policy Lab, Trends in Investor Acquisition of Residential Properties in New Jersey, which highlights that while investor activity impacts affordability and inventory, large investors are not the primary reason homes are expensive.
Are corporate buyers hogging single-family homes in Harris County? Here’s what the data shows.
Institutional investors often purchase properties using LLCs and other entities with a different name, so properties were connected to the nine companies using a list of keywords compiled by Rutgers University assistant professor Eric Seymour. In all, 370 unique property owner names listed in Harris County records were linked to the nine firms.
Trump Plans to Ban Big Investors From Buying Houses. Will That Lower Prices?
The largest corporate owners are at saturation,” says Eric Seymour, a Rutgers associate professor who studies private equity in the housing market. “Some of the largest actors, like Invitation Homes and Blackstone, grew to scale in the aftermath of the foreclosure crisis when they are able to buy large numbers of homes at low costs. That window has closed.”
Corporations are buying more homes in NJ, what that means to families
The largest corporate owners are at saturation,” says Eric Seymour, a Rutgers associate professor who studies private equity in the housing market. “Some of the largest actors, like Invitation Homes and Blackstone, grew to scale in the aftermath of the foreclosure crisis when they are able to buy large numbers of homes at low costs. That window has closed.”
NJSPL Report: Investor Acquisition of Residential Properties
Corporate ownership of single-family homes and other small residential properties has drawn growing concern from housing advocates and policymakers in New Jersey and nationally. Between 2012 and 2022, corporate ownership of 1–4-unit residential properties more than doubled in the Garden State.
Cultural Factors Driving Severe Repetitive Flood Losses
A central debate was whether public resources should support staying or leaving the island. Key concerns included the economic impacts of strategies on household and public finances, the effectiveness of strategies to mitigate future flood damages, and fairness in the distribution of costs and responsibilities.
New Publication from Payne: Digital Twin or Digital Kin?
The authors argue that questions around interoperability and profit and tensions with democratic deliberation and socially beneficial outcomes necessitate best-practice “digital kin” models. These models are inclusive of different urban realities and diverse communities, as well as more closely integrated across platforms locations for use in participatory planning to advance social equity outcomes.
Will Payne Maps NYC’s “Gourmet Gentrification” Trends
Using a novel dataset assembled from print Zagat Survey guidebooks, the first crowdsourced restaurant guide and the direct antecedent of contemporary local review platforms like Yelp and Google Maps, this article traces the contours of ‘gourmet gentrification’ in New York City using quantitative and spatial analysis from 1990 to 2015.