Social media images of culture can predict economic trends in cities

The rise and prosperity of a city neighborhood is not predicated on economic capital alone--the presence of a vibrant arts, music and science culture is equally important. So says a groundbreaking study published in Frontiers in Physics, in which researchers used social media images of cultural events in London and New York City to create a model that can predict neighborhoods where residents enjoy a high level of wellbeing--and even anticipate gentrification by 5 years. With more than half of t...