eli knaap
@knaaptime.com
urban planning & public policy prof @ UC Irvine | core dev @ PySAL & QuantEcon | urban social science & spatial data science | open source
https://knaaptime.com
https://knaaptime.com
Pinned
eli knaap
@knaaptime.com
· Jun 9
there's a ~complete rough draft of Urban Analysis up on my website (as in, code executes all the way through)
knaaptime.com/urban_analysis
still lots of editing to do, but if you're into cities, Python, or spatial analysis, give it a look and let me know what's wrong :)
knaaptime.com/urban_analysis
still lots of editing to do, but if you're into cities, Python, or spatial analysis, give it a look and let me know what's wrong :)
Reposted by eli knaap
In lieu of thanksgiving I suggest holding a sort of family court convicting your most annoying relatives of various offenses
November 26, 2025 at 6:32 PM
In lieu of thanksgiving I suggest holding a sort of family court convicting your most annoying relatives of various offenses
no one, ever: i cant spell economics, but i've had a bank account most of my life. Let me tell you how finance *Actually Works*
_fucking everyone_, at all times: i have zero training in urban studies but I stepped foot in a house once. I am the world's foremost expert on housing and development
_fucking everyone_, at all times: i have zero training in urban studies but I stepped foot in a house once. I am the world's foremost expert on housing and development
November 26, 2025 at 4:56 PM
no one, ever: i cant spell economics, but i've had a bank account most of my life. Let me tell you how finance *Actually Works*
_fucking everyone_, at all times: i have zero training in urban studies but I stepped foot in a house once. I am the world's foremost expert on housing and development
_fucking everyone_, at all times: i have zero training in urban studies but I stepped foot in a house once. I am the world's foremost expert on housing and development
Reposted by eli knaap
My third point is that the large rise in Black unemployment over the past few months is a reminder that aggregate demand has important distributional consequences. Strong labor markets disproportionately help less privileged workers, weaker labor markets disproportionately hurt them.
November 25, 2025 at 9:18 PM
My third point is that the large rise in Black unemployment over the past few months is a reminder that aggregate demand has important distributional consequences. Strong labor markets disproportionately help less privileged workers, weaker labor markets disproportionately hurt them.
Reposted by eli knaap
Google at its peak was basically the best information retrieval system in human history and they and every competitor decided going from there to “you didn’t want answers you wanted half-assed auto-complete 80%-wrong hallucinations” in a few years was the right idea
November 25, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Google at its peak was basically the best information retrieval system in human history and they and every competitor decided going from there to “you didn’t want answers you wanted half-assed auto-complete 80%-wrong hallucinations” in a few years was the right idea
sometimes you have to call `plt.show()` to make quarto understand a figure is a figure 🤷♂️
November 22, 2025 at 4:57 AM
sometimes you have to call `plt.show()` to make quarto understand a figure is a figure 🤷♂️
Reposted by eli knaap
This seems important. Current AI models can't read graphs. They "see" what they expect to see, even if the data shows something else.
Introducing bluffbench, a new tool to evaluate how well LLMs actually see data plots.
When we trick LLMs with secret #RStats transformations, they can miss the visual contradiction.
bluffbench helps us measure this "blind spot" in AI coding agents. Learn more: posit.co/blog/introdu...
When we trick LLMs with secret #RStats transformations, they can miss the visual contradiction.
bluffbench helps us measure this "blind spot" in AI coding agents. Learn more: posit.co/blog/introdu...
When plotting, LLMs see what they expect to see - Posit
Data science agents need to accurately read plots even when the content contradicts their expectations. Our testing shows today's LLMs still struggle here.
posit.co
November 19, 2025 at 4:58 PM
This seems important. Current AI models can't read graphs. They "see" what they expect to see, even if the data shows something else.
slow clap
November 19, 2025 at 5:30 PM
slow clap
Reposted by eli knaap
as part of this journey, i also learned that knitr (and thus quarto, as a side effect) can automatically translate interactive graphics (e.g. leaflet maps) into static images via webshot2 (github.com/rstudio/webs...), which is just awesome and i wish the jupyter engine could pull that off too
November 19, 2025 at 5:25 PM
as part of this journey, i also learned that knitr (and thus quarto, as a side effect) can automatically translate interactive graphics (e.g. leaflet maps) into static images via webshot2 (github.com/rstudio/webs...), which is just awesome and i wish the jupyter engine could pull that off too
took me three days to realize the reason this quarto doc wont compile to pdf is latex chokes on the unicode characters that make up the tqdm progressbar
November 19, 2025 at 5:00 PM
took me three days to realize the reason this quarto doc wont compile to pdf is latex chokes on the unicode characters that make up the tqdm progressbar
was about to issue effusive compliments, then noticed who's credited for the dataviz (and realized i dont have to because he knows his shit). Shoutout to @jensvb.bsky.social for the proper (and highly effective) use of diverging color
Almost everywhere in the City of Toronto has fewer people that it did 50 years ago
November 16, 2025 at 4:07 AM
was about to issue effusive compliments, then noticed who's credited for the dataviz (and realized i dont have to because he knows his shit). Shoutout to @jensvb.bsky.social for the proper (and highly effective) use of diverging color
eagles, bears, and republicans all winning in the same 48 hours is the literal definition of the worst this country has to offer
November 11, 2025 at 4:31 AM
eagles, bears, and republicans all winning in the same 48 hours is the literal definition of the worst this country has to offer
Reposted by eli knaap
Millions of Democratic voters on Tuesday: Fight these guys. Fight them.
Senate Democrats: We heard you loud and clear and we will give in
Senate Democrats: We heard you loud and clear and we will give in
November 9, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Millions of Democratic voters on Tuesday: Fight these guys. Fight them.
Senate Democrats: We heard you loud and clear and we will give in
Senate Democrats: We heard you loud and clear and we will give in
spatial opportunity analysis as an input to policy is extremely important (and obviously very close to my heart). But it's stunning to me that these are still the methods employed, the methods doc is sooo sparse, and there's no open-source infrastructure driving any of this
The draft 2026 TCAC Opportunity Maps are now out. belonging.berkeley.edu/2026-ctcachc...
2026 CTCAC/HCD AFFH Mapping Tool
belonging.berkeley.edu
November 2, 2025 at 11:45 PM
spatial opportunity analysis as an input to policy is extremely important (and obviously very close to my heart). But it's stunning to me that these are still the methods employed, the methods doc is sooo sparse, and there's no open-source infrastructure driving any of this
Reposted by eli knaap
So, what does our study find? The RxKids program is a program that started in Flint, which provides universal benefits during pregnancy & the first year of a child's life. We find that the "demand-side" effects of the program are sufficient to provide sizable spillover benefits.
A new analysis by the Upjohn Institute finds that the Rx Kids program delivers measurable economic benefits to families and the broader local economy in Flint, Michigan. Read the full report
www.upjohn.org/research-hig...
www.upjohn.org/research-hig...
October 30, 2025 at 7:41 PM
So, what does our study find? The RxKids program is a program that started in Flint, which provides universal benefits during pregnancy & the first year of a child's life. We find that the "demand-side" effects of the program are sufficient to provide sizable spillover benefits.
oh silly WaPo, an interactive chart wont change anything. I explain this intro stats problem to my gambling buddies at least once a month and they all still think they're smarter than the laws of probability
How America’s favorite sports bet is fueling sportsbook profits
Parlays are becoming more popular, accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Post analysis of betting data. Bettors lose billions a year on these bets.
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/inter...
Parlays are becoming more popular, accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Post analysis of betting data. Bettors lose billions a year on these bets.
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/inter...
Americans can’t stop betting parlays. Sportbooks are cashing in.
As betting booms, parlays are accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Washington Post analysis of state data.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 30, 2025 at 5:23 PM
oh silly WaPo, an interactive chart wont change anything. I explain this intro stats problem to my gambling buddies at least once a month and they all still think they're smarter than the laws of probability
Reposted by eli knaap
RFK is undoing human subjects protections so he can conduct placebo trials of vaccines. That means infecting people knowingly. I wonder who will “volunteer” for these trials? If history is any guide, a lot of incarcerated and other powerless people.
Dismantling the Institutional Review Board (IRB), that oversees all human subjects research, is bad. Really bad.
The entire HR department at the CDC is gone. Everyone at the IRB, which makes sure studies are conducted ethically and rigorously, and the ethics office, which oversee conflicts of interest for CDC leaders and advisory committee members, were also let go.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
October 19, 2025 at 4:12 PM
RFK is undoing human subjects protections so he can conduct placebo trials of vaccines. That means infecting people knowingly. I wonder who will “volunteer” for these trials? If history is any guide, a lot of incarcerated and other powerless people.
Reposted by eli knaap
I really really really liked The Oatmeal’s take on AI here theoatmeal.com/comics/ai_art
A cartoonist's review of AI art - The Oatmeal
This is a comic about AI art.
theoatmeal.com
October 8, 2025 at 1:57 PM
I really really really liked The Oatmeal’s take on AI here theoatmeal.com/comics/ai_art
i interviewed remotely at UCL during the pandemic (with several faculty that i *deeply* admire). They had to stop me halfway through my opening spiel to let me know i was sharing the screen with my notes instead of slides. Mortifying.
...this feels dramatically worse
bsky.app/profile/patt...
...this feels dramatically worse
bsky.app/profile/patt...
Best part of all … a photographer (Jonathan Ernst) caught all her prepared cheat notes for attacking any Senator. What a total tool …
October 8, 2025 at 5:09 AM
i interviewed remotely at UCL during the pandemic (with several faculty that i *deeply* admire). They had to stop me halfway through my opening spiel to let me know i was sharing the screen with my notes instead of slides. Mortifying.
...this feels dramatically worse
bsky.app/profile/patt...
...this feels dramatically worse
bsky.app/profile/patt...
weighted results are also simple (70k observations this time). The histogram is still different from the original graph though (and the median rent actually drops a bit to 2270)
@besttrousers.bsky.social are you doing something i'm missing?
bsky.app/profile/knaa...
@besttrousers.bsky.social are you doing something i'm missing?
bsky.app/profile/knaa...
![occ_rent = occ_rent.set_index('CONTROL')
weighted_idx = occ_rent.index.repeat(occ_rent['FW'])
weighted_idx
weighted_rent = occ_rent.merge(weighted_idx.to_frame(), left_index=True, right_index=True, how='right')
weighted_rent.RENT_AMOUNT.hist(bins=20)
weighted_rent.RENT_AMOUNT.describe()](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ndb5mcf73s6g5fmys4u2clag/bafkreiaid3ploxpzaolfoor746ufi56f5dxwmd7zh2tcw5vva2kkuewoya@jpeg)
October 7, 2025 at 8:28 PM
weighted results are also simple (70k observations this time). The histogram is still different from the original graph though (and the median rent actually drops a bit to 2270)
@besttrousers.bsky.social are you doing something i'm missing?
bsky.app/profile/knaa...
@besttrousers.bsky.social are you doing something i'm missing?
bsky.app/profile/knaa...
Reposted by eli knaap
Our new paper shows that men benefit from couples' long-distance joint moves more than women do, in both Germany and Sweden. Is this just b/c men are usually the main breadwinner? No, it's hard to explain the patterns we see w/o a gender norm prioritizing men's careers. www.nber.org/papers/w32970
September 23, 2024 at 6:43 PM
Our new paper shows that men benefit from couples' long-distance joint moves more than women do, in both Germany and Sweden. Is this just b/c men are usually the main breadwinner? No, it's hard to explain the patterns we see w/o a gender norm prioritizing men's careers. www.nber.org/papers/w32970
oh man that was awesome. reid sucks, maholmes sucks, kelce sucks. lets all get trevor lawrence tattoos
watching the chiefs implode > waching the bears implode > watching the eagles implode
watching the chiefs implode > waching the bears implode > watching the eagles implode
October 7, 2025 at 3:18 AM
oh man that was awesome. reid sucks, maholmes sucks, kelce sucks. lets all get trevor lawrence tattoos
watching the chiefs implode > waching the bears implode > watching the eagles implode
watching the chiefs implode > waching the bears implode > watching the eagles implode
Reposted by eli knaap
International student arrivals to the US dropped 19% this year, the biggest drop on record aside from the 2020 pandemic low.
The decline is occurring as the Trump administration has delayed visa processing, instituted travel bans or restrictions for 19 countries, threatened to deport international students for pro-Palestinian speech, and heightened the vetting of student visa applicants.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Nearly 20 Percent Fewer International Students Traveled to the U.S. in August
The data shows the steepest decline in August international student arrivals since the pandemic.
www.nytimes.com
October 6, 2025 at 4:21 PM
International student arrivals to the US dropped 19% this year, the biggest drop on record aside from the 2020 pandemic low.
Reposted by eli knaap
Yeah. Fuck Penn State.
October 6, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Yeah. Fuck Penn State.
every single year i'm confident baseball is finally over. And every single year you losers disappoint me
bsky.app/profile/lowr...
bsky.app/profile/lowr...
I think it'd be healthy if this site's sports discourse was slightly more toxic. There's a natural human need for toxicity and dunking, and we'd be better served if more of that was about something broadly understood to be frivolous
October 6, 2025 at 5:01 AM
every single year i'm confident baseball is finally over. And every single year you losers disappoint me
bsky.app/profile/lowr...
bsky.app/profile/lowr...