Denise Milstien

Denise Milstein received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University. Her research examines the life cycles of cultural movements within the urban environment. Her current work focuses on the social and spatial transformation of Brooklyn neighborhoods, and the impact of those changes on artist networks and the emergence of aesthetic innovation. As such, she has a strong interest in the ways that public spaces, including parks and natural spaces, open opportunities for reflection, interaction, and ultimately transform urban dynamics. In previous research, she traced the evolution of social networks in Latin American art worlds and published on the transformation of urban imaginaries through songs, the impact of repression on artistic careers, the relationship between political engagement and counter-culture, and the emergence of innovation from musical revivals. She specializes in qualitative methods and runs the MA program in Sociology at Columbia University.