Reports.

I help organizations develop credible, evidence-based reports that strengthen advocacy, shape strategy, and build public trust.

Chicago's Hidden Housing Solution

How additional dwelling unit expansion can make the city more affordable

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Chicago’s 2020 Additional Dwelling Unit Ordinance, while well-intentioned, has stifled development. Despite 71% of Chicagoans being in favor of putting additional dwelling units on existing residential lots – higher than the national average – restrictive and inequitable regulations have ensured very few are built.

Shaping Chicago

How ownership and trust influence engagement in building the city

In this study of community-engagement in Chicago, I ask three core research questions:

How do demographic characteristics, socio-economic conditions, and geographic boundaries influence patterns of trust and ownership across the city?
How do residents and urban planners understand their sense of ownership over their communities, and how does their engagement in shaping the physical aspects of their neighborhood vary as a result?
How do residents and urban planners form and establish a sense of trust between one another, and how does this trust or lack thereof influence their participation in shaping the physical aspects of their neighborhood?

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Mandating Unaffordability

How Chicago’s housing affordability requirements decrease supply and increase costs

As housing prices continue to soar out of reach for more Americans, an impulse from policy makers across the country has been to attempt to mandate “affordable” prices through legislation. Two-plus decades of evidence from Chicago shows those government mandates are counterproductive. They produce remarkably few units and limit the overall housing supply, driving up housing costs.

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Display Case

The Impact of Harvard Yard’s Visual Culture on First Year Students’ Sense of Belonging and Campus Identity

This study explores how Harvard Yard’s visual environment shapes first-year students’ sense of belonging—both to the institution and to one another. Drawing on interviews with a diverse group of freshmen, it finds that students develop “campus identity” in alignment with Harvard’s values, while forming “campus affinity” partly in opposition to institutional narratives. The report offers insights for institutions seeking to strengthen student belonging and improve campus design for newcomers.

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Looking for a researcher?

I partner with organizations and non-profits interested in producing rigorous research reports that further freedom, opportunity, and justice. My work provides credible data storytelling to rally more voters, donors, and media to your cause.

Reach out: lylena.contact@gmail.com. Include your organization, the main idea(s) in brief, and your timeline.

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Reports.

Chicago's Hidden Housing Solution

Looking for a researcher?

LyLena D. Estabine.