

PLAYING MY PART
REVITALIZING NEIGHBORHOODS
BIO
Austin Harrison is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Urban Studies Institute at Georgia State University. His research interests include housing policy, neighborhood change, shrinking cities, and community development. In addition to his Ph.D. research, Mr. Harrison is an active practitioner in the housing and neighborhood arena. Through his own consulting firm, he has worked with nonprofits, local governments, and private developers across the country to implement programs and policies aimed at inclusively revitalizing neighborhoods, developing quality affordable housing, and stabilizing systemically disinvested communities. He also is a Research Fellow for Innovate Memphis, a local open data intermediary in Memphis, Tennessee focused on applied data analysis and policy research to drive advocacy for neighborhood and housing concerns such as evictions, abandoned property, and local market dynamics. Austin holds a B.A. in History from Mercer University and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Memphis.
CONTACT
DOING WHAT IT TAKES
My career has been focused on improving the quality of life in ALL neighborhoods. I do what it takes to make tangible change in communities, from cutting grass in vacant lots, to managing resident-led projects, influencing housing policy, and analyzing neighborhood data to determine the most effective revitalization strategies. Follow the link below to find out more about how I can help you improve the quality of life in your community!
RESEARCH TO ACTION
Knowledge is power. So many communities find themselves unequipped with the information needed to fight for their neighborhoods. To combat this, I am researching realistic solutions to some of the most systemic problems facing our neighborhoods and distilling that research in a way that is actionable for practitioners.