Dallas Economic Development Policy
City of Dallas
HR&A worked with the City of Dallas to develop and implement a groundbreaking Economic Development Policy that prioritizes equitable investment in Southern Dallas and communities of color historically excluded from opportunity. Through comprehensive strategic support, our work is helping turn the City’s bold vision into measurable outcomes—restructuring incentives, aligning City departments, and building a foundation for inclusive, long-term economic growth.
Following the unanimous adoption of the Policy in 2021, HR&A worked closely with the Chief of Economic Development and Neighborhood Services and four key City departments to guide implementation. We managed a 15-member Council-appointed Task Force, helping ensure transparency, accountability, and community voice in the process. HR&A documented structural barriers to equitable development, modernized the City’s incentives strategy, and recommended reforms to permitting processes to support small-scale, community-rooted development. We also led interdepartmental trainings, retreats, and leadership recruitment to build internal capacity for change.
In early 2023, after the successful adoption of Policy updates, the City re-engaged HR&A to expand its advisory role across small business support, bond planning, community development, and historic preservation. As part of a broader consultant team, HR&A continues to serve as a trusted advisor and external resource, helping Dallas advance a more inclusive, resilient, and equitable economy.
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HR&A worked with the City of Dallas to develop and implement a groundbreaking Economic Development Policy that prioritizes equitable investment in Southern Dallas and communities of color historically excluded from opportunity. Through comprehensive strategic support, our work is helping turn the City’s bold vision into measurable outcomes—restructuring incentives, aligning City departments, and building a foundation for inclusive, long-term economic growth.
HR&A conducted comprehensive economic impact analysis for the Dallas Parks and Recreation Department, demonstrating that the city's 382 parks and 145 miles of trails generate a seven-to-one return on public investment. Our analysis of community benefits including job growth, health impacts, and resiliency, along with development of a visitor count methodology, provided the foundation for a successful $262 million bond proposal that gained overwhelming voter approval in 2017.
Since 2022, HR&A has supported New York State's Empire State Development to design and implement a comprehensive workforce strategy for the newly established Office of Strategic Workforce Development. The office’s core focus is to establish strategic priorities for job training aligned with industry needs and to fund new programs – through a $150 million grant program – that connect un- and underemployed New Yorkers especially from historically marginalized communities to in-demand, high-quality jobs in priority industries. Ultimately, this internal and external-facing effort seeks to strengthen New York’s economic competitiveness and expand economic opportunity and mobility for all New Yorkers.
