My research explores how environmental quality shapes economic and social outcomes. I combine remote sensing, machine learning, and applied micro-econometrics to study urban greenspace and labor markets, air and water quality, and community resilience to natural disasters. I aim to build tools and evidence that translate directly into policy and planning decisions.
Title: The Role of Urban Greenspace in Shaping Labor Market Outcomes.
This paper examines how urban greenspace influences labor market outcomes, focusing on whether workers are willing to accept lower wages in exchange for greener environments.
Using a panel dataset of 950 urban U.S. counties from 2011 to 2019, we apply the theory of compensating differentials within a spatial equilibrium framework.
Greenspace is measured using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a remote sensing indicator derived from satellite imagery.
To address endogeneity concerns, we employ an instrumental variables strategy that leverages historical land cover data from the 1970s-80s.
Our findings show a significant negative relationship between NDVI and wages, suggesting that workers accept lower pay in greener counties due to the non-monetary benefits of greenspace.
At the same time, we find that greener cities have higher employment and population levels, indicating broader economic appeal.
Sector-level analysis further reveals that the strength of this wage effect varies by industrial composition, with more diversified economies exhibiting stronger compensating differentials.
These results highlight the economic value of greenspace beyond environmental or aesthetic benefits. As an amenity that can be shaped through public policy,
greenspace offers a tool for enhancing urban livability and attracting labor, making it a valuable component of sustainable urban development strategies.
with Elbakidze, L. (2024).
Environmental and Resource Economics.
We quantify how exposure to air pollution influences chronic absenteeism in U.S. schools, highlighting socioeconomic disparities and policy implications.
Read Article →with Nakata, S., Sharma, U., Rahman, T., Rahman, M. (2021).
Policy Research Working Papers, The World Bank.
Investigates how recognizing skills acquired outside formal education affects labor-market outcomes.
Read Article →with Fakir, A., Karim, A., Mubde, M., & Ahmad, A. (2020).
Journal of Smoking Cessation.
Cluster randomized trial in rural Bangladesh testing low-cost behavioral nudges.
Read Article →with Fakir, A.M. et al. (2020).
Journal of Smoking Cessation.
Assesses the impact of a self-monitoring record-keeping logbook on tobacco expenditure.
Read Article →with Fakir, A.M. et al. (2018).
BMC Research Notes.
Details the RCT design, treatment sorting, survey instruments, and data collection approach.
Read Article →A computer-vision toolkit that quantifies street-level greenery and public-space features using Google Street View imagery to support urban analysis and policy.
Read Article →Modeling long-term greenhouse gas emissions and economic & social welfare for new power-generation projects for West Virginia in collaboration with the WV Office of Energy and US EPA.
—Grant by Resilient Energy Economies in collaboration with the Center for Rural Innovation and the Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs.
—with Elbakidze, L. (in progress).
Links agricultural inputs and regulatory compliance to downstream water quality outcomes.
Abstract / Draft (soon) →(in progress).
Spatial analysis of community recovery using remote sensing and high-volume mobile-device data.
Abstract / Draft (soon) →with Plemmons, A. (in progress).
Regulatory impacts on health outcomes associated with physical-therapy licensure variation.
Abstract / Draft (soon) →with Cary, M. (in progress).
Effects of air quality on standardized test performance across Virginia school districts.
Abstract / Draft (soon) →with Maupin, I. (in progress).
Evaluates whether targeted mental-health funding curbs chronic absenteeism in U.S. schools.
Abstract / Draft (soon) →