Week 9: Going from Patterns to Predictions

This week, I decided to move beyond simply identifying development patterns and instead focus on long-term trends in order to make predictions. While it was interesting to identify major development patterns last week, I wanted to apply the same tools with the goal of predicting where the next wave of development may take place. As such, I adjusted my AI prompts to reflect this new objective:

“Which areas in Brownsville are most likely to see new development in the next 5–10 years based on previous trends?”

“Which areas in East New York have experienced significant growth in the last decade, but where development now seems to be slowing down or coming to an end?”

AI was useful in identifying neighborhoods where development was still ongoing but had already gone through several stages. To ensure that the information I gathered from my searches was accurate, I compared my findings with zoning laws, permits, and the firsthand observations I made during my walks through different parts of the city. I noticed that the AI sometimes highlighted areas that initially looked promising but, upon closer inspection, did not accurately reflect real-life conditions. For instance, a block could appear to show low development, but in reality that was due to zoning restrictions or a lack of demand.

This week taught me that predicting the future requires not only data, but also context and a significant amount of human discernment. Overall, I am beginning to understand the direction my project is moving toward. It is becoming more than simply looking at the past and analyzing it; it is about utilizing a variety of sources in order to make more accurate real-estate predictions.