Cities worldwide face intensifying climate shocks that highlight longstanding housing problems. Yet it remains unclear why some disasters spark deeper transformations while others entrench the status quo. This project examines how social movement organizations and real-estate incumbents negotiate competing visions for more equitable housing after recent wildfires in Los Angeles. By revealing how their interactions shape the dominant rebuilding agenda, the project identifies when crisis moments can genuinely open windows for “desirable futures.” Through a comparative multi-case process design, it also offers practical strategies for policymakers and urban stakeholders to harness post-disaster opportunities for more inclusive, long-term housing transformations.

How do images influence what news we engage with online? This project uses Artificial Intelligence to analyze how images in social media posts of major news outlets shape audience engagement. By combining large-scale analysis of social media data using multi-modal AI with controlled experiments, I will identify which image characteristics drive online news consumption. My findings will provide insights for policy-makers, researchers, and news organizations to better understand how visuals affect engagement, helping them make evidence-based decisions that balance audience engagement with journalistic objectivity.

The recent worsening of relationships between countries led to a drastic reduction in firms’ foreign investment, which has worsened the economic situation in regions that rely on foreign investment. This project examines when and why firms reduce investments and what policymakers can do to avert these reductions, by examining three dimensions of geopolitical tensions: (1) how tensions create spillovers for third, noninvolved countries, (2) how supranational lobbying (i.e., EU) may mitigate the effect of tensions within an economic union, and (3) whether nationalistic voting in municipalities worsens the effects of tensions. This project supports policymakers and firms in battling deglobalization.

There is limited evidence on how global talent mobility impacts entrepreneurship. I will leverage 20 years of data on all graduates from a Dutch university to address this gap. By constructing a comprehensive dataset on graduates’ careers, I will examine the extent to which staying in, leaving, and returning to the Netherlands post-graduation influences Dutch entrepreneurial activity. To establish causality, I will use unique data from MBA program applicants, comparing entrepreneurial outcomes of those who narrowly meet the admission threshold with those who just miss it. This research will inform ongoing debates about the economic implications of Dutch university internationalization.

Economic losses from natural catastrophes are rising, while insurance coverage is disappearing. A top EU authority calls this the “biggest risk facing society.” This project will examine the impact of government green lending policies on household climate-proofing investments and insurability. By constructing property-level data that links green lending participation to home improvements and insurance outcomes, the project hopes to shed light on whether green lending programs help close the “energy efficiency gap” and enhance natural catastrophe insurance. The findings will contribute to economics literature and inform climate policy, offering insights into the effectiveness of green financing in mitigating climate risks.