'Root Shock': New Digital Technologies and Urban Displacement

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This interdisciplinary working group explores the intersection of new digital technologies and urban displacement. Drawing inspiration from Mindy Thompson Fullilove's concept of "root shock" - the traumatic uprooting of communities - we conceptualize urban displacement as a process involving forced population movement from established housing and neighborhoods, typically resulting from redevelopment processes initiated by the state, including urban renewal, freeway building, and slum clearance. While a significant body of work addresses the causes and processes of urban displacement, our working group seeks to understand how new technologies can tell stories before, during, and after displacement. We will leverage the literature on new digital technologies to provide novel insights into these under-explored areas. The group will meet regularly to prepare and discuss a common reading list and present works in progress.

The working group brings together researchers from various USC schools, including faculty, students, and staff in Dornsife, Cinema, Price, Architecture, and the Libraries. This interdisciplinary approach allows for a comprehensive examination of urban displacement and the potential of digital technologies to address its challenges.

Coordinators

Phil Ethington, Dornsife, Professor of History, Political Science and Spatial Sciences, USC
Curtis Fletcher, Director, Ahmanson Lab USC Libraries
Meredith Drake Reitan, Associate Dean & Adjunct Associate Professor, USC

Schedule of Meetings

Thursday, November 21, 2024 10:00 am - 11:00 am. Agenda-Setting Meeting.

Thursday, January 9, 2025 10:00 am - 11:00 am.

Thursday, February 13, 2025 10:00 am - 11:00 am.

Thursday, March 13, 2025 10:00 am - 11:00 am.

Thursday, April 10, 2025 2025 10:00 am - 11:00 am.