Ben Teresa

Ben Teresa is an Associate Professor in Urban and Regional Studies and Planning at Virginia Commonwealth University. His research and teaching focuses on producing knowledge that is useful for how the people and communities who are most affected by urban political-economic change can develop capacity and autonomy to collectively shape their future. This agenda encompasses three main substantive areas of research: 1) the process of financialization, or the increasing role of financial institutions, actors, and logic in real estate development, housing, and education; 2) eviction and housing instability; and 3) the political economy of the arts and arts policy. He is the co-founder and director of the RVA Eviction Lab, a collaboration of faculty and students for community-responsive research and data that supports the advocacy work of those who are most affected by housing instability.