Policy Evaluation & Design

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.

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.

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.

HR&A collaborated with the Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) to develop the State’s first ever comprehensive statewide Digital Opportunity Plan, establishing their roadmap to universal broadband availability, affordability, and adoption.

HR&A developed a comprehensive strategy enabling Con Edison to significantly scale its energy efficiency investments in low- and moderate-income (LMI) multifamily housing across New York City and Westchester County. Our work delivered both immediate tactical tools to meet near-term targets and a 10-year strategic plan that positions Con Edison to achieve climate goals while directing benefits to underserved communities.

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 conducted a comprehensive update of the New York City Tech Ecosystem Study for ABNY, Tech:NYC, and Google, delivering influential analysis that shaped policy discussions on tech workforce development and economic growth. Our research revealed significant sector expansion to 7% of the 4.27 million people working in New York City in 2021, as well as critical challenges in diversity and talent retention. Our findings and recommendations for addressing representation gaps were featured in The New York Times and The City.

HR&A worked with the Los Angeles Department of City Planning to design a comprehensive incentive zoning system for Downtown Los Angeles as part of the DTLA 2040 Downtown Community Plan update, creating a three-tier framework that balances development feasibility with public benefits and will generate affordable housing, public open space, and community facilities while establishing clear expectations for future growth.

HR&A conducted a comprehensive industry and workforce analysis of the Nashville area for Vanderbilt University to inform investments in innovation initiatives across Nashville. Our data analysis identified high-potential growth sectors and existing regional assets in terms of their ability to generate innovation and provide high-paying jobs. This work informed physical planning efforts for the future Anchor Park Innovation District and Vanderbilt’s contributions to Nashville Innovation Alliance.

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 collaborated with 100 Resilient Cities and Houston's Chief Resilience Officer to develop the city's comprehensive Resilience Strategy, addressing critical challenges including stormwater management, urban heat mitigation, and equitable economic development. Working alongside the Water Institute of the Gulf, Asakura Robinson, the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, and the Rockefeller Foundation, we contributed to a strategy that earned the Gold Planning Achievement Award for Resilience from the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association.

HR&A was commissioned by the City of Chicago to develop a comprehensive feasibility analysis for municipally owned grocery stores as a solution to the city’s inequitable access to healthy, affordable food. Through market analysis, operational modeling, and risk assessment, the study demonstrated how Chicago could establish a network of stores to address the city’s food deserts.

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.

On behalf of SPUR and ULI San Francisco, HR&A Advisors partnered with Gensler to analyze the economic feasibility of converting vacant downtown office buildings into residential units. This first-of-its-kind study in San Francisco -- ultimately incorporated into SPUR’s October 2023 “From Workspace to Homebase” report -- provided stakeholders with actionable insights into the financial challenges and policy interventions necessary for successful conversions that could address both downtown vacancy and the city’s housing shortage.

HR&A conducted an independent study for Uber Technologies analyzing rideshare driver net earnings in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Portland and benchmarking those earnings against comparable occupations in each market. Our comprehensive analysis revealed that across all three cities, Uber driver net earnings ranged from $21.29 to $23.01 per hour after costs.

HR&A conducted a comprehensive impact analysis for Airbnb, examining the effects of New York City's Local Law 18, which effectively banned most short-term rentals in September 2023. Through pre- and post-enforcement data analysis, HR&A demonstrated that the law significantly reduced short-term rental income for homeowners who relied on Airbnb rentals, reduced the net new economic activity that many Airbnb guests brought to the outer boroughs, and reduced the availability of accommodations for tourists – already in short supply.

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.

HR&A Advisors is co-leading Pittsburgh's first citywide comprehensive plan, a two-year initiative establishing policies that will guide how the city will grow and change through 2050. Working closely with the Department of City Planning and a team of local and national partners, we are helping Pittsburgh set clear goals for housing, jobs, transportation, land use, and climate resilience.

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.

HR&A is working with the San Francisco Labor Council to develop a comprehensive Equity Agenda that presents a fiscally viable alternative to corporate tax relief as the city confronts critical decisions around its economic future. Our work will deliver actionable policy playbooks that translate the Council’s values into concrete budget and legislative proposals, empowering labor leaders to champion equitable economic recovery solutions during the upcoming mayoral election, real estate fee restructuring debate, and 2025 budget season.

HR&A's benefits analysis for climate adaptation investments in Alexandria, Egypt informed the Government of Alexandria's presentation at COP 27 in November 2022. Working with the World Bank City Resilience Program, we evaluated and prioritized planned adaptation projects, estimating capital and operating costs alongside fiscal, economic, social, and environmental benefits to guide strategic climate investment decisions.

For the first time in 12 years, New York City prepared to welcome a new mayor—and HR&A ensured tens of thousands of residents had a voice in shaping the transition. Our Talking Transition initiative for a ten-foundation coalition transformed the traditionally insular period between election and inauguration into broad public engagement, gathering input from nearly 70,000 New Yorkers across all five boroughs.

HR&A's work with the World Bank catalyzed Colombia's adoption of Tax Increment Financing as a national urban development tool. Leading a team of local lawyers and planners, our case study research and policy roadmap informed Colombia's National Development Plan 2018-2022 and equipped municipalities with frameworks to capture land value for infrastructure investment.

HR&A conducted case study research for the Economic Security Project to demonstrate how public options can enhance economic power for all Americans by providing publicly-funded alternatives to traditionally private services. Through detailed analysis of four successful initiatives across the country, HR&A showcased viable models and implementation strategies that policymakers can replicate to make markets more competitive and accessible in their own communities.

HR&A worked with the Fairfax County Park Authority to redesign their funding model, shifting from a fee-dependent system that excluded lower-income residents to an equitable framework that prioritizes accessibility. Our analysis and recommendations will enable FCPA to serve all county residents while maintaining high-quality programming and expanding culturally competent recreation offerings.

HR&A's fiscal impact analysis strengthened Santa Monica's negotiating position with the 2028 Olympic organizing committee. Our evaluation of hosting versus non-hosting scenarios revealed visitor spending patterns, revenue generation, and service costs that led City Council to direct staff to secure more advantageous terms from LA28.

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.

HR&A helped to transform San Joaquin County's approach to affordable housing investment by guiding creation of a dedicated Housing Trust Fund. Our work with the countywide San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) evaluated affordable housing needs, alternative governance models, and funding sources. This resulted in establishment of a new nonprofit, tax-exempt subsidiary of SJCOG that has secured new financial resources and is planning to make its first project funding awards in 2026.

HR&A led the comprehensive redesign and management of NYC BigApps for the New York City Economic Development Corporation, transforming the world's largest civic tech competition to address pressing challenges facing New Yorkers. Over two competition rounds in 2014 and 2015, we secured more than $500,000 in sponsorship support, produced 22+ events, managed relationships with 250+ collaborators, and awarded $225,000 in prizes to winning teams creating lasting impact, including Heat Seek and Benefit Kitchen, while establishing a sustainable program model through collaboration with Civic Hall Labs.

HR&A advised Broadway Station Partners on market-supportable development planning and public financing strategies for one of Denver's largest transit-oriented development sites, the former Gates Rubber Company plant. Our work directly contributed to the Denver City Council's unanimous approval of a $140 million public infrastructure financing package, including $90 million in tax increment financing—the second largest ever approved in the city—enabling groundbreaking in 2018.

HR&A collaborated with JusticeLA and Designing Justice+Designing Spaces to advance transformative restorative justice initiatives through LA County's Care First Community Investment program. We developed a concept plan for a pilot campus in Long Beach and co-authored a 2022 concept paper proposing the FLOW Youth Center, a prototype for juvenile restorative justice that disrupts traditional incarceration models by prioritizing community-based mental health, substance abuse treatment, and holistic wellness programming.

HR&A Advisors worked with Friends of the High Line and the New York City Department of Planning to demonstrate the economic potential of transforming the abandoned High Line railway into a public park. Through detailed impact analysis and an innovative rezoning strategy, HR&A helped create a world-renowned public space that has generated $52 billion in economic activity and reshaped Manhattan’s West Side.

HR&A worked with United Way to develop an implementation plan for their initial strategic framework for a continuum of issues related to affordable housing and homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg County. HR&A conducted extensive stakeholder outreach and analysis to create actionable and innovative strategies to reduce housing instability and homelessness across the region. 

Disrupting the cycle between homelessness and criminal legal system involvement starts with improving access to housing. HR&A conducted research for Enterprise Community Partners Southeast's Housing as a Pathway to Justice effort in Atlanta, mapping seven critical inflection points and recommending strategies for Enterprise to leverage its position as developer, convener, and policy expert.

HR&A transformed mayoral transitions in New York City and Washington DC from closed-door processes into groundbreaking public engagement reaching nearly 80,000 residents. Our Talking Transition initiatives for foundation coalitions gathered unprecedented input during critical transition periods, revealing resident priorities that shaped incoming administrations under Mayor Bill de Blasio and Mayor Muriel Bowser.

HR&A is proud to support the Center for Fair Futures’ new report, Housing Justice for Young People Aging out of Foster Care in New York City, which lays out a five-year plan to provide 800 new homes for youth exiting foster care. The findings in this report present an opportunity for policymakers, service providers, and mission-driven investors to come together to prevent homelessness for a uniquely at-risk population.

HR&A helped HERE to HERE unite approximately 25 major employers to transform workforce development in the Bronx, creating systematic pathways connecting local youth with career opportunities. Our feasibility study, operating plan, and strategic convening led to the launch of CareerWise NYC, an apprenticeship program for high school students, and established frameworks for sustained employer investment in developing the borough's talent pipeline.

Recognizing the opportunity the City has to invest in its existing housing stock to preserve affordability, the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) engaged HR&A and National Housing Trust (NHT) to create the Affordable Housing Preservation Study — a robust inventory and projections of San Diego’s existing affordable housing and a policy framework designed to preserve affordability.

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.

In response to input from residents, affordable housing advocates and developers, the City of New Haven engaged HR&A to develop an inclusionary zoning policy that ensures long-term affordability, inclusive growth, and thriving neighborhoods. Over 50 affordable homes have been approved since the ordinance’s approval in 2022. 

Since 2020, HR&A has supported Con Edison’s strategy for incentivizing building decarbonization throughout New York City and Westchester County. Leveraging our deep experience in New York City real estate and our quantitative modeling capabilities, we are helping Con Edison achieve the ambitious goals of New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which commits the State to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2050.

HR&A developed an interactive dashboard for the Florida Apartment Association to track Florida’s rapidly growing housing needs at the county and metro-area level and showcases cost drivers and benefits of incentive tools to highlight housing gaps for lower-income renters. 

HR&A helped designed a statewide shared appreciation revolving loan fund in California to provide down payment assistance for lower income borrowers by analyzing housing and homeownership trends across 10 regions in the state and set the potential lending parameters, resulting in over 2,000 new homeowners benefitting from the program. 

The State of Washington engaged HR&A Advisors to conduct a Needs Assessment for Equitable Energy Assistance to better serve thousands of low-income households that face high energy costs and unhealthy living conditions at home. HR&A presented 15 recommendations and a roadmap to achieve equitable decarbonization by 2050, informed by voices of environmentally burdened communities across the state.

As part of the Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity (R2E2) partnership, HR&A is providing training and capacity building assistance for awardees of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Buildings Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP). Separate from this work, R2E2 provides technical assistance to state and local governments, community-based organizations, and other entities to jumpstart energy retrofit programs for both single family and multifamily low- to moderate-income housing (“LMI” housing), especially in frontline communities.

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 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 co-led a multidisciplinary team developing an equitable transit-oriented development (ETOD) strategy for CapMetro's Project Connect, spanning 100+ station areas. Working with Austin Transit Partnership and the City of Austin, we created a comprehensive policy toolkit that minimizes displacement while maximizing economic opportunities for local residents and businesses.

HR&A partnered with the Trinity Park Conservancy to develop an Equitable Development Toolkit that transforms a $150 million investment in Dallas's Harold Simmons Park into a catalyst for community opportunity. Through comprehensive analysis and stakeholder engagement, we created implementable strategies to ensure the 200-acre park connecting Downtown Dallas, West Dallas, and Oak Cliff strengthens neighborhoods while addressing systemic inequities.

HR&A worked with Los Angeles County to review and update the rent increase formula under its Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance following pandemic-era market disruptions. Our comprehensive analysis and stakeholder engagement produced six policy options, with the Board of Supervisors adopting one of our recommendations in June 2024.

Since 2022, HR&A has worked with leaders in Manhattan’s Chinatown neighborhood to support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, address systemic challenges facing the small business community, and foster a new generation of AAPI entrepreneurs seeking to preserve the cultural identity of Chinatown.

HR&A designed a comprehensive strategy for Northfield Community Local Development Corporation to launch Staten Island's first Community Land Trust, creating a locally tailored roadmap that positions the organization to expand affordable homeownership opportunities and strengthen community resilience through a financially viable CLT initiative.

HR&A provided Washington state legislators with comprehensive guidance on designing and implementing a statewide rental registry to address housing affordability challenges across the state. Working with over 200 stakeholders including renters, property owners, advocates, and local officials, we delivered actionable recommendations that will guide state legislators during the 2025 session and support the development of equitable and impactful housing policy at the State level.

HR&A partnered with the City of Hayward to conduct a comprehensive housing displacement study that analyzed how rising housing costs were affecting different neighborhoods and populations. Our research provided the City with critical data and insights needed to secure county funding and guide affordable housing development decisions.

HR&A conducted a comprehensive economic and fiscal impact analysis for Cornell Tech, quantifying the institution's contributions to New York City's economy through campus construction, operations, student spending, and startup activity. The analysis showed that Cornell Tech generated $768 million in total economic impact and supported 2,800 jobs in FY 2022-2023, with projections showing growth to $1.5 billion in economic impact and 7,000 jobs by 2030, establishing the institution as one of the city's most effective economic development investments.

HR&A analyzed eviction trends and prevention programs for the San Diego Housing Commission, conducting spatial analysis of eviction data, stakeholder interviews, and best practices research. Our recommendations enabled SDHC to understand local eviction patterns, identify program gaps, and design improved housing stability policies that protect renters from displacement.

HR&A developed the Kips Bay Science District Education and Workforce Vision Report for the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), that articulated the vision of the Kips Bay District as the center of New York City’s health and life sciences ecosystems. Leveraging NYCEDC's first-of-its-kind life sciences innovation, career, and education hub, the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC), would develop the next generation of talent to support this ecosystem and anchor this District.

The Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs selected HR&A to provide recommendations for a potential Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) policy for unincorporated areas in LA County, which aims to prevent displacement, preserve affordable housing, and increase homeownership opportunities for renters. HR&A developed a set of preliminary recommendations on program design and implementation strategies, including the required ecosystem, funding support, staffing costs, and data tracking needs.