From helping end homelessness in L.A. County to developing new economic pathways so that a person’s zip code doesn’t determine life outcomes, the USC Price Center for Social Innovation is tackling today’s most urgent urban challenges — seeking to develop and inform new models that advance equity and opportunity for low-income families.
The Price Center’s Neighborhood Data for Social Change (NDSC) platform is a free, publicly available online resource to empower civic actors with the neighborhood data they need to advocate for a better quality of life within their communities.
The data stories are part of City Rising, a TV and web program that examines the cause and effect of social issues affecting SoCal communities.
“Pay for success” has emerged in recent years as an innovative way for governments to fund social-service programs without having to provide up-front funding or compensation for services that don’t achieve the desired outcomes.
The Southern California Symposium challenges local leaders to think deeply and collaboratively about the region’s future to develop long-term solutions for complex social problems.
“You can’t just sit in an ivory tower… you actually have to be embedded in the community. It’s been tremendously rewarding to be part of that process and to be part of the community.”
Research and data really are foundational and important tools that we can use to inform how to improve the lives of people in Los Angeles and elsewhere. The neighborhood data platform makes a special contribution because it democratizes this research and data that otherwise might be buried away in a government agency and only available to public officials.
| Name | Position | Expertise | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Emma Aguila | Assistant Professor | Economics of aging, health economics, and applied econometrics |
 | Tridib Banerjee | Professor James Irvine Chair in Urban and Regional Planning | Urban design, comparative urbanism, urban sprawl, developing world urbanization, planning theory |
 | Marlon Boarnet | Professor Chair, Department of Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis | Transportation, travel behavior, urban growth patterns, regional science, urban economics |
 | Terry L. Cooper | Professor The Maria B. Crutcher Professor in Citizenship and Democratic Values | Administrative ethics, administrative theory, citizen participation, neighborhood organizations, role of citizens |
 | Elizabeth Currid-Halkett | Professor James Irvine Chair in Urban and Regional Planning | Economic development, cultural economy, social networks, urban growth, economic geography |
 | Nicolas Duquette | Assistant Professor | Nonprofit economics, public finance, economic history |
 | James M. Ferris | Professor Emery Evans Olson Chair in Non-Profit Entrepreneurship and Public Policy Director, Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy | Philanthropy, nonprofit economics, public finance, public policy, institutional analysis |
 | Alexandra Graddy-Reed | Assistant Professor of Public Policy | Public economics, philanthropy and nonprofits, social innovation, science and innovation policy, research and development |
 | Howard Greenwald | Professor | Health service delivery, organizational behavior, survey design |
 | Eric Heikkila | Professor Director, Office of Global Engagement | Urban development, economic development, East Asian cities, urban economics, urban information systems |
 | Annette M. Kim | Associate Professor Director, Spatial Analysis Lab (SLAB) | Housing and land use; international development planning; East Asian urbanization; race, arts, and placemaking; critical mapping and urban analytics |
 | Dora Kingsley Vertenten | Professor (Teaching) | Public policy, intergovernmental management, non-profit management, strategic planning, social media and information technologies useful in collaborative and participatory democracy |
 | Jack H. Knott | Dean C. Erwin and Ione L. Piper Chair and Professor | Political institutions and public policy, health policy, and public management |
 | LaVonna B. Lewis | Teaching Professor Director of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives | American politics, public policy (most notably health policy), interest groups, and federal programs |
 | Jennifer Miller | Assistant Professor (Teaching) | Economic development, science and technology policy, workforce policy |
 | Dowell Myers | Professor Director, Population Dynamics Research Group | Demographic change, future of California, housing impacts, workforce and education, immigration and assimilation, communication for consensus about change |
 | Deborah J. Natoli | Associate Professor (Teaching) Director, Professional Doctorate Program | Adult development and learning, leadership, human behavior and organizations, depth psychology and psychoanalysis |
 | Gary Dean Painter | Professor Director, USC Sol Price Center for Social Innovation Director, Homelessness Policy Research Institute | Social Innovation, Housing economics, Urban economics, education policy, program evaluation |
 | William G. Resh | Associate Professor | Public Management, US presidency and executive politics, policy implementation, organization theory, personnel policy, organizational behavior |
 | Peter J. Robertson | Associate Professor | Organizational theory and behavior, organizational change, ecological governance, collaborative organizing, interorganizational networks |
 | Lisa Schweitzer | Professor | Environmental justice, Sustainable transportation, Hazardous materials in urban environments, Community environmental quality |
 | David Sloane | Professor | Urban history, community health planning, health disparaties, cultural landscapes |
 | Roberto Suro | Professor Director, Tomas Rivera Policy Institute Associate Director, USC Sol Price Center for Social Innovation | Immigration, Hispanic immigration, immigration policy |
 | Julie M. Zissimopoulos | Associate Professor Vice Dean for Academic Affairs Associate Director, USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics | Economics of aging, economics of the family, labor economics, health economics |
The Sol Price Center for Social Innovation serves as the research partner of the L.A. Promise Zones, a federally designated community impact and improvement program; and has developed a cutting-edge data platform that promotes a better quality of life for local communities.
