Engaging in conversations with 80+ small-business owners and chamber of commerce directors gave me knowledge and insight into why building strong, resilient cities starts with economically empowered neighborhoods.
Jein Park was a research assistant in the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center with the Community and Economic Development practice area. Her research interest focuses on economic empowerment through the combination of government policies and community-based initiatives. Before joining Urban, Park conducted field research in Chicago on e-commerce’s impact on small businesses and how retail vacancies affect neighborhoods. She has also participated in sustainable urban development research on the Galapagos Islands.
Park graduated from the University of Chicago with BAs in public policy studies and sociology. Her honors senior thesis studied how commercialization transformed a desolate meatpacking district into Chicago’s trendiest consumption destination.
