The Mappyist Hour - House Prices and You

In this episode of The Mappiest Hour, Tee and Silas welcome Blake Thompson and Damon Burgett, two Mapbox engineers with wildly different backgrounds—from aerospace engineering to garbage field trips. The conversation starts with the technical evolution of vector tiles and the creative misuse of mapping tools (dubbed "Hackbox"), but quickly pivots to the real-world impact of gentrification. Silas shares his "Data Hoods" theory, using alcohol license data to map neighborhood boundaries and track displacement in San Francisco. From electric scooters littering the streets to the skyrocketing cost of rent in mid-sized cities, this episode explores the intersection of tech, geography, and urban life.