TLDR: How many New Yorkers live near gas stations? In 2002, about 275,000 residential units in NYC (8.5% of all units) were within 300 feet of a gas station (these units were spread across 43,000 […]
studying harm reduction Using aggregate panel data and staggered adoption
This post is in dialogue with the recent papers “Syringe exchange programs and harm reduction: New evidence in the wake of the opioid epidemic” published in the Journal of Public Economics and “The Effects of […]
the local train
The local train Downtown The machine mumbles “…approaching the station.” Rumbling.Up the stairs. Stumbling.Rushing.Though I know another one will come soon.I’m excited.She’s my lucky number. I arrive on Noah’s ark.With the whole entire world.Brushing against […]
How state and local Policy can Enable immigrant innovators
Uncapping Progress Increased immigration catalyzes technological innovation and entrepreneurship. Biochemist Katalin Karikó, a Hungarian immigrant to the US, invented the underpinnings of mRNA vaccine technology; studying her work prompted Derrick Rossi, a Canadian-born immigrant, to […]
Is Massachusetts Really the least Transparent state?
I wrote this in early July 2021 (and sat on it — post became public June 5, 2022) during a debate over changing the rules of the State House pushed by the advocacy group Act […]
I’m running for town meeting in Precinct 3!
Michael Zoorob for Precinct 3 My name is Michael Zoorob. I’m running to represent Precinct 3 as a Town Meeting Member because I want to be an effective advocate for our Precinct and a progressive […]
Homeownership and Turnout in State and Local Elections in Brookline
This post compares participation in state and local elections among likely renters and likely homeowners in Brookline, MA, where I live. I will examine voting in three elections: first, the 2019 local election, which included […]
Supporting the Gateway East Bus Lane in brookline
Below is a copy of the letter I wrote to the transportation board in support of bus lanes on Washington Street. The featured image for this post comes from this YouTube video. Dear members of […]
Density, Covid, and the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem
The statistical association (bracketing causal inference at this point) between people living near one another (population density) and the rate of COVID-19 cases seems to vary between different levels of aggregation (e.g. neighborhood versus city […]
Homeowners of local politics (Brookline edition)
It is well-known that homeowners have an outsized role in local politics. In Brookline, 50% of residents rent and 50% own their homes. We also have a representative Town Meeting form of government, meaning that […]
Michael Zoorob 