We’re reinvigorating urban hubs as engines of opportunity.
Downtown, Corridor & Neighborhood Revitalization
We craft development strategies that strengthen cities by transforming underutilized and underinvested areas into vibrant places where residents want to live, work, and play. Whether we’re helping cities understand how to revitalize their downtown or working with a non-profit to invest in a neighborhood without displacing existing residents, we offer an expansive understanding of comprehensive planning, stakeholder engagement, and market analysis. Our approach combines community input with innovative financing strategies to unlock unrealized value and offer a clear implementation strategy. We guide jurisdictions through zoning reforms, public space improvements, and mixed-use development to preserve authentic identity while attracting investment and boosting local economies.
HR&A led an interdisciplinary team to develop a transformative vision and implementation strategy for Prince George’s County’s Blue Line Corridor, a 6-mile stretch along Central Avenue in Maryland. This comprehensive plan has already secured over $450M in state funding and bonding capacity for priority capital projects including a youth sports fieldhouse, amphitheater, central library and cultural center, market hall, and multimodal infrastructure while establishing a replicable model for place-based economic development countywide. 
HR&A collaborated with Brookings Metro, Gensler, and Cara Eckholm Studio to develop a comprehensive study on office-to-residential conversions across six U.S. cities for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This research provides cities with actionable strategies to address housing shortages, repurpose distressed office markets, and revitalize downtowns through data-driven conversion approaches.
Working with Destination Crenshaw, HR&A developed a comprehensive strategic plan that establishes a roadmap for building a global cultural destination celebrating Black Los Angeles while countering displacement pressures. The resulting framework provides clear strategies, initiatives, timelines, and metrics to guide inclusive economic development while preserving the community's rich history and culture.
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The Knight Foundation engaged HR&A to evaluate their philanthropic investments in downtown revitalization across nine U.S. cities. Through comprehensive data collection and analysis, HR&A assessed the effectiveness of the Foundation’s priority grants, investigated the sustainability of supported organizations, and identified critical revitalization levers that could be applied to any city. This evaluation provided Knight Foundation with essential insights to guide future investment decisions and promote equitable economic development.
HR&A supported the City of Boston’s Planning Department (fka the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA)) in studying the feasibility of converting vacant downtown offices to residences through subsidies, tax incentives, and expedited permitting, which resulted in the City launching an office conversion pilot program. Since its launch in October 2023, the program has received applications proposing nearly 800 new homes, and in 2024 the City extended the pilot with $15 million in new funding from the State.
HR&A transformed the DowntownDC Business Improvement District's annual economic report into a powerful storytelling and advocacy tool for downtown Washington's post-pandemic recovery. Our comprehensive sector analysis and employment study provided the BID with evidence-based insights to engage stakeholders, guide strategic decisions, and advance recommendations that will shape downtown's economic future.
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