Lance Freeman

Lance Freeman is the James W. Effron University Professor, and 29th Penn Integrates Knowledge (PIK) Professor, at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds joint appointments in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Weitzman and in the Department of Sociology in the School of Arts & Sciences. Neighborhoods are what fascinates him and motivates his research. He studies how neighborhoods change and evolve over time and the role neighborhoods play in people’s lives. He is exploring how we can use social media and other new technologies as tools to study neighborhoods. His study of neighborhoods is motivated by an aim to learn how we can use this knowledge to plan and build better and more equitable places. Professor Freeman has published a number of articles in refereed journals on issues related to gentrification, urban poverty, housing policy, urban sprawl, the relationship between the built environment and public health and residential segregation. His books include "There Goes the Hood: Views of Gentrification from the Ground Up" by Temple University Press and "A Haven and a Hell: The Ghetto in Black America" by Columbia University Press. Prior to beginning his academic career, Professor Freeman worked as a researcher for Mathematica Policy Research, a leading social science research organization in Washington, D.C. He also has worked as a City Planner for the New York City Housing Authority.