Nicholas Forster-Benson
I am a doctoral student in Sociology & Social Policy and Malcolm H. Wiener Scholar in Poverty and Justice at Harvard University.
Broadly, I am interested in understanding how inequality is shaped by various institutional arrangements and class relations. My current research asks: why did housing welfare states develop in some places and not others? I also work on documenting housing inequality in the U.S. with a mix of administrative and survey data.
I hold a BA in Economics from Vanderbilt University in my home city Nashville, Tennessee. In my spare time I am a pick-up basketball enthusiast.
Research
Publications
Forster-Benson, N. and Nchare, K. (2025). “Upzoning and Residential Transaction Price in Nashville.” Journal of Housing Economics, 70: 102104.
Works in Progress
Forster-Benson, N. “The Desirability of Density: Upzoning, Financialization, and Displacement in Nashville.” Under Review.
Forster-Benson, N. “Corporate Ownership Density and Rent in the United States: An Analysis from 2012-2022.” Working paper.
Forster-Benson, N. “Towards a Relational Understanding of Zoning Conflict.” In Preperation.
Forster-Benson, N. and Nchare, K. (2025). “Trade and Colonial Legacy: The Case of Portugal and Its Former African Colonies.” Revise & Resubmit, Journal of International Development.
Teaching
Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University:
• Policy Analysis (PAE/SYPA), Quantitative Data & Methods Course Assistant, AY 2026-2027 — Description
Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University:
• Economic Statistics (ECON 1500), Teaching Assistant, Fall 2024 — Syllabus
Department of Sociology, Vanderbilt University:
• Contemporary American Society (SOC 3233), Teaching Assistant, Fall 2022, Fall 2023 — Syllabus
• Cultural Production and Institutions (SOC 3202), Teaching Assistant, Fall 2023 — Syllabus
Contact
✉ nforsterbenson@fas.harvard.edu
⟟ Reservoir Park Courts, 1801 8th Ave South, Nashville, TN 37203
Background: Streetcar and Coach map from the Nashville Railway & Light Company (1927). Sourced from the Tennessee State Library & Archives, Tennessee Virtual Archive.