HR&A Advisors serves as the retained executive team for the Rowen Foundation, orchestrating the creation of a 2,000-acre innovation community in the Atlanta Metro Region that will connect research, education, and industry across agriculture, medicine, and environmental science. As the operational leadership for this transformative project, HR&A directs all aspects of development including real estate strategy, foundation operations, tenant attraction, board governance, and public-private partnerships spanning Georgia's higher education institutions and government entities.
HR&A guided the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in developing and implementing a comprehensive innovation district strategy that bridges research capabilities with industry collaboration. We delivered a strategic roadmap with clear governance structures, partnership frameworks, and phased real estate development priorities that position MUSC to accelerate healthcare innovation while generating significant economic impact for the Charleston region.
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 Advisors partnered with Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) to strengthen the economic security and long-term sustainability of New York’s creative workforce. Through policy analysis, strategic advising, and institutional design, HR&A helped CRNY shape a statewide advocacy agenda aimed at advancing equitable conditions for artists and cultural workers. The engagement culminated in the creation of a Policy Playbook and an Organizational Blueprint to guide long-term action and investment.
HR&A advised the Greater Cleveland Partnership on governance strategies for the Cleveland North Coast Lakefront transformation, a complex waterfront redevelopment along Lake Erie. Our stakeholder facilitation and case study analysis resulted in recommendations for a new independent entity dedicated to lakefront redevelopment — balancing city leadership with organizational flexibility. A new non-profit entity, the North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation (NCWDC), was formed based on our recommendations, which now supports the City's ongoing master planning efforts and will carry the momentum through multiple political cycles.
At 27, County Judge Lina Hidalgo made history as the youngest and first Latina to lead Harris County, Texas—home to 4.7 million residents. HR&A supported her groundbreaking transition by building her leadership team, establishing policy frameworks, and launching Talking Transition, which engaged over 11,000 residents in defining priorities for her first 100 days.
HR&A created the business plan and implementation strategy for Konza Technology City (Konza Technopolis), a 5,000-acre innovation hub outside Nairobi that is transforming Kenya's technology sector. Working with the International Finance Corporation for the Government of Kenya, we established the Konza Technopolis Development Authority, structured the city's development framework, that continues provide real estate advisory services that are attracting investment to this catalyst for national growth.
HR&A supported the development, launch, and implementation of the Nashville Innovation Alliance, a groundbreaking public-private partnership that brings together the region's innovation organizations to foster collaboration and build a vibrant, inclusive innovation ecosystem. With the Alliance's successful launch in July 2024, Nashville is positioned to grow its strengths in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.
HR&A supported Red Bird Development Group in visioning and financial planning for the redevelopment of Red Bird Mall, a 90-acre underutilized property in Southern Dallas. Our analysis, financial modeling, and predevelopment planning positioned RBDG to advance a transformative mixed-use project that will catalyze economic development and provide essential community amenities in a low-income neighborhood.
HR&A led real estate and economic analysis as part of a multidisciplinary team developing a master plan for Dallas' Convention Center District, reimagining the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and surrounding area as an integrated mixed-use district with a new multi-modal transportation hub. Our feasibility analysis, equity assessment, and funding strategy helped the City of Dallas secure a projected $3.5 billion to advance this transformative project.
As a member of a multidisciplinary team led by Sasaki, HR&A developed a strategic business plan guiding the creation of Arboretum San Antonio, a new 200-acre immersive nature-based experience rooted in the city's Southside. Our market analysis, strategic planning, and revenue modeling helped ASA establish organizational direction and financial sustainability for this transformative cultural amenity and helped inform Sasaki’s Master Planning process and programmatic decisions.
HR&A led a multidisciplinary team to develop an updated strategic vision and implementation roadmap for the 300+ acre Panther Island project adjacent to Downtown Fort Worth. Working with a steering committee of public-sector and civic stakeholders, we delivered actionable recommendations that align flood control infrastructure with economic and real estate development opportunities, creating a framework for transformative public and private investment shaped by community ambitions.
After soliciting extensive input from community members, city officials, banking experts, and business stakeholders, HR&A developed a Business and Governance Plan for the City of San Francisco’s public bank to support affordable housing, small businesses, and green investments.
Starting the morning after Sara Innamorato was elected as the first female County Executive in Allegheny County, HR&A provided intensive daily project management and strategic guidance to her transition and helped create an Action Plan to guide her Administration. We delivered the largest community engagement initiative in County history, capturing input from nearly 19,000 residents and translating their priorities into 91 concrete actions released on her 100th day in office.
HR&A developed and continues to advance a comprehensive Strategic Broadband Action Plan for Clark County, Nevada, home to 70 percent of the state's residents. Our multi-phase approach has helped the County secure over $11 million in federal funding, establish a Broadband Program Office, and position Clark County as a national leader in equitable broadband deployment and digital inclusion.
The Skillful Governor's Coaching Corps has supported 157 career coaching professionals across multiple states and inspired more than 20 governors nationwide to pledge implementation of similar programs in their own states. HR&A collaborated with the Markle Foundation's Skillful Initiative to design and launch these workforce development programs in Colorado, Indiana, and Rhode Island, reshaping how employers recruit workers and how public sector, educators, and nonprofit organizations prepare jobseekers.
The Skillful Governor's Coaching Corps has supported nearly 90 career coaches across Colorado through three cohorts, establishing the first-in-the-nation model for investing in frontline professionals who connect jobseekers with careers in growing industries. HR&A developed and launched this program with Governor John Hickenlooper in October 2017, creating a replicable framework that has since inspired more than 20 governors nationwide to pledge implementation of similar initiatives.
HR&A supported the design and implementation of Skillful Indiana, adapting Colorado's successful model to address the state's workforce challenges. Launched in October 2018, the initiative includes a Governor's Coaching Corps serving cohorts of 35 career coaches who collectively assist 3,500 individuals monthly, and an online Coaching Community of Practice connecting coaches across states for peer learning and resource sharing.
HR&A collaborated with the Schott Foundation to develop community-driven standards for responsible AI implementation in education, creating frameworks and resources that protect BIPOC students from algorithmic bias while ensuring youth, families, and educators have meaningful voice in technology decisions that affect their schools and futures.
On behalf of River City Company, HR&A led the development of a benefits case and implementation roadmap for a transformative Health & Wellness District along the 3rd & 4th Street Corridor in Chattanooga. HR&A aligned public, private, and institutional partners around a shared vision and positioned the District to drive innovation, job creation, and inclusive economic growth for Chattanooga and the region.
Greensboro's Gateway Research Park is reimagining its role as an innovation ecosystem. HR&A's comprehensive visioning strategy combines regional industry analysis, socioeconomic assessment, and governance redesign to position the park to better serve market demand.
Austin's newly established Economic Development Corporation is tackling affordability and displacement through strategic public investments and innovative financing tools. HR&A is collaborating with QBL Partners to implement the EDC's ambitious agenda, advancing a TIF district for the 118-acre South Central Waterfront, creating a cultural trust to preserve performing arts spaces, and building a pipeline of public benefit transactions citywide.
HR&A led a multidisciplinary team to develop an implementation framework for community-led investment in Atlanta's Sweet Auburn neighborhood, working with local organizations to create the SAGE District model that prioritizes affordability, racial justice, and green infrastructure while building Black wealth and preventing displacement.
In 2024, Los Angeles County voters approved Measure A, a historic half-cent sales tax generating over $380 million annually for affordable housing and homelessness prevention. HR&A developed the inaugural Expenditure Plan and Regional Coordination Plan for the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA), creating frameworks that enable 13 regional agencies to deploy this permanent funding source while maintaining regional alignment toward the goal of producing 9,000 new affordable homes over the next five years.
HR&A evaluated whether Philadelphia could establish a public bank to achieve a more just economy in the face of entrenched racial poverty and an $800 million small business lending gap. Our feasibility study for the Philadelphia Public Bank Working Group provided the roadmap for legislation that would make Philadelphia the first US city with a municipal bank prioritizing equity and community wealth-building.
Back to Work RI aims to connect thousands of Rhode Islanders with employment opportunities through a $45 million initiative launched by Governor Gina Raimondo and the Governor's Workforce Board, prioritizing people who lost jobs due to COVID and those facing persistent employment barriers. HR&A supported Skillful to design a Rhode Island version of the Governor's Coaching Corps that will equip career coaches to address degree inflation and implement skills-based recruitment, hiring, and retention practices among participating employers.
HR&A played a pivotal role in the launch and development of La Liga, a nonpartisan groundbreaking network uniting mayors across Puerto Rico to drive coordinated, long-term recovery and resilience. Working with the Center for a New Economy, the Ford Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations, HR&A shaped La Liga’s structure, leadership, and strategy—creating a platform for cross-party municipal collaboration in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
HR&A led the design and execution of NYC Speaks, a public-private partnership between the City of New York, a civic coalition of New Yorkers from all 5 boroughs, community-based organizations, and philanthropy, that engaged everyday New Yorkers in shaping the policies and priorities of the incoming mayoral administration. NYC Speaks conducted the largest policy survey in NYC history, capturing responses from more than 62,000 New Yorkers across every residential zip code.
HR&A developed an organizational roadmap for the City of Fort Worth's Park and Recreation Department to advance implementation of its 2025 Master Plan and the Mayor's Good Natured Initiative. Our strategic recommendations helped position PARD for leadership transition and informed a successful budget increase of 3.7%, including salary improvements and expanded open space funding.
HR&A Advisors developed an operating and funding strategy for Manresa Island Park, a proposed new park and community hub that will transform a 130+-acre brownfield site on the Connecticut coast. HR&A’s work advanced the ambitious vision of owners Austin and Allison McChord to convert the waterfront site, home to a former power plant facility, into a regional recreational, ecological, and cultural hub with commanding views of Long Island Sound.
HR&A Advisors guided the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation through a comprehensive predevelopment planning process that transformed 85 acres of vacant, post-industrial piers into one of New York City's premier waterfront destinations. By creating an innovative self-sustaining funding model and facilitating complex stakeholder engagement, HR&A broke a 20-year implementation stalemate, enabling the award-winning Michael Van Valkenburgh-designed park to move from vision to reality.
HR&A developed a comprehensive strategy for the City of Tulsa to restructure community and economic development services across seven departments, authorities, and commissions, leading to the creation of the Tulsa Authority for Economic Opportunity (TAEO), known as Partner Tulsa. We then developed a three-year strategic plan for the new independent entity, establishing its mission, operational frameworks, and equity-focused performance metrics to advance racial equity and shared prosperity.
HR&A helped New Hope Housing multiply its impact combating homelessness in Houston and Harris County. Our comprehensive strategic plan and implementation support enabled the organization to triple annual project delivery, launch new service lines, and develop GIS-based tools that systematically identify competitive development sites for serving vulnerable populations.
HR&A supported the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) to develop the AdaptNYC initiative, including a Climate Adaptation Roadmap, a led a multi-disciplinary team to summarize and forecast climate impacts to New Yorkers through 2100, including how particular hazards (extreme heat, extreme storms, chronic flooding) will impact people’s health, homes, mobility, economy, culture, and community. The work addressed systemic and institutional racism disproportionately impacting New Yorkers of color.
HR&A supported the Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice and the Office of the Comptroller to develop Public Solar NYC, the city's first public solar program for low-to-moderate income residents. Our comprehensive feasibility analysis, program design, and grant application support helped secure $250 million in federal funding, establishing a transformative solar program that addresses equity barriers in NYC's clean energy transition.
HR&A developed a comprehensive strategic plan for BioDistrict New Orleans, leading a team of specialized local firms to create a framework for inclusive innovation district growth. Through systematic stakeholder engagement and market analysis, HR&A delivered prioritized investment strategies and a governance structure that leverages the district's institutional strengths while ensuring equitable community development and economic opportunity.
HR&A served as strategic partner and development advisor to Rice Management Company for The Ion and broader 16-acre Ion District in Houston, overseeing real estate and programmatic development. This comprehensive advisory role has successfully transformed a former Sears building into a thriving innovation hub while laying the groundwork for a 3-5 million square foot mixed-use innovation district that fosters an inclusive tech ecosystem and creates equitable economic opportunities.
HR&A supported San Diego State University to develop the vision and business plan for a 1.6 million square foot Innovation District at SDSU Mission Valley, a transformative mixed-use development on a 165-acre transit-oriented site. We guided master plan refinement and are supporting procurement of a developer for up to 500,000 square feet of research space, positioning SDSU to expand career opportunities for its 35,000 students while growing its $5.7 billion annual regional economic impact.
HR&A has supported the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) since 2017 to drive investment and strategic partnerships across Los Angeles County to realize its goal of reaching 600,000 green jobs by 2050. HR&A’s collaboration with LACI began with a Green Jobs Study to quantify and characterize the green economy in Los Angeles County, essential for setting workforce goals and strategies.
HR&A guided the Moffitt Cancer Center in master planning and implementing SPEROS FL, Moffitt’s transformative 775-acre innovation campus outside of Tampa, Florida. This strategic advisory work supported Moffitt, Florida’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, in expanding its clinical, research, educational, and treatment activities, directly advancing its mission of preventing and curing cancer through a cohesive, purpose-built campus environment.
HR&A is working with Sacramento County's Office of Economic Development to create a comprehensive Economic Development Strategic Plan that will guide the County's approach to job retention, business growth, and innovation over the next five years. Our inclusive stakeholder engagement process and analytical framework will inform strategic priorities and implementation approaches for addressing regional economic disparities.
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.
