Wenfei Xu
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wenfeixu.bsky.social
Wenfei Xu
@wenfeixu.bsky.social
Assistant professor at UCSB Geography. I also direct the Urban Data Research Lab. I work on urban data science, housing, segregation, and redlining.

http://urbandataresearchlab.org
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/...
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...
journals.sagepub.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Reposted by Wenfei Xu
🎧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-...
Episode 26: A day in the life of… Wenfei Xu
Today we’re “repeating” special guest. We enjoyed so much talking to Wenfei Xu anbout mobile phone data in our last episode (Episode 25: What we talk about when we talk about mobile phone data), that ...
www.podbean.com
October 16, 2025 at 10:47 AM
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...
Beyond “Data Good” or “Data Bad” - Spotlight On Counting the City
www.ijurr.org
October 14, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Long time listener first time caller here! So GLaD to chat mobile phone data research with these folks.
Here at your friendly "Geography, Life, and Data" podcast, we do a lot of Geography, a lot of Life, and a lot of Geography Life. This one's for the Data—mobile phone data, that is. ☎️

@darribas.bsky.social @levijohnwolf.bsky.social @wenfeixu.bsky.social #geography

open.spotify.com/episode/7Hmx...
Episode 25: What we talk about when we talk about mobile phone data
open.spotify.com
September 13, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Reposted by Wenfei Xu
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
March 19, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Reposted by Wenfei Xu
*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...
March 10, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Reposted by Wenfei Xu
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...
The Crisis of Affordability in New York City .pdf
drive.google.com
March 3, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Reposted by Wenfei Xu
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
March 1, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Reposted by Wenfei Xu
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
We're not done yet | 18F
18f.org
March 1, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Reposted by Wenfei Xu
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)
February 19, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Reposted by Wenfei Xu
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!
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...
chicago.suntimes.com
December 18, 2024 at 4:15 PM
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.
Hard to overstate how much of an improvement speed cameras are compared to police issuing tickets.

Speed cameras are *much* fairer -- and also more reliable.

theconversation.com/police-stop-...
October 23, 2024 at 12:24 PM
Reposted by Wenfei Xu
As Bluesky is growing 🥳, I have updated this starter pack with more people who post about cities, science, and policy.

go.bsky.app/Gf7viP1
October 19, 2024 at 6:01 PM
Reposted by Wenfei Xu
Following the example of @maxnathan.bsky.social, it might be a good time to share this starter pack again. go.bsky.app/SeJAZa6
October 20, 2024 at 11:05 AM
Reposted by Wenfei Xu
Reposting the urban economics and economic geography starter pack for all you new BlueSky arrivals #EconSky 📉📈 #geosky

go.bsky.app/DpxtxXn
October 20, 2024 at 7:19 AM