HR&A is honored to have contributed to the early programming vision, operating revenue strategy, and benefits case as part of the winning team, led by Field Operations, for Midtown Green — a proposed 4-acre cultural destination in Midtown Atlanta. Unveiled this week at Midtown Alliance’s Annual Meeting, the concept has already captured the city’s imagination, generating buzz across Atlanta and beyond.

Sitting on one of the last undeveloped parcels of its size in Midtown—steps from a dense concentration of arts institutions and within walking distance of thousands of workers, residents, and visitors—the park’s vision is for a free, open, and deeply programmed public space where art, performance, and daily life share the same ground. Anchored by an iconic Magnolia pavilion, immersive art, a café, and flexible gathering spaces, it’s designed to be the kind of layered urban destination that defines a city’s identity.

Congratulations to the full team that made this vision possible — Field Operations, Gresham Smith, Tom Phifer and Partners, David Van Der Leer, Threshold, Fluidity Design, Dharam, Karcheik Sims-Alvarado, and all the contributors who brought their expertise to this effort

Related Coverage:

This 4-acre hole in Midtown will become Atlanta’s newest park. Take a look. — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Midtown Green park design unveiled — Axios Atlanta

Images: Vision unveiled for ‘Midtown Green,’ a ‘cultural, civic destination’ — Urbanize Atlanta

Plans unveiled for ‘Midtown Green’ public space on 14th Street — Rough Atlanta

This op-ed was originally published by Crain’s New York Business and authored by Partner Kate Wittels and Principal Sulin Carling. 

Elected officials and business leaders describe New York City as the most resilient city in the world, bouncing back stronger from every shock and adapting to a new normal. Today, the shock is AI.

AI promises unprecedented productivity gains, but it poses real challenges for a core engine of New York’s economic growth: the steady pipeline of college graduates eager to build their careers here. Six percent of all U.S. college graduates move to New York after graduation. In the last four years, this equated to approximately 490,000 college grads moving to the city, roughly double the number moving to Los Angeles, the second-highest city.

With the rapid adoption of AI, corporations are putting that pipeline under threat. Entry-level job postings in New York have already dropped 37%, so much so that Gov. Kathy Hochul has launched the FutureWorks Commission to rethink workforce development. And Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, has predicted that AI could eliminate up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs over the next five years.

For decades, New York’s housing development patterns have been organized around serving this workforce. Studios and one-bedrooms dominate, designed for renters willing to trade space for proximity to the city’s parks, restaurants and energy. Since 2000, nearly 45% of new units built citywide have been studios or one-bedrooms.

This pattern is not accidental. It reflects what “pencils out” on developers’ balance books: Smaller units command higher rents per square foot. With limited developable land, New York has effectively concentrated its housing production around one set of assumptions about who will live here and how they will earn a living. That has come at the expense of housing that works for low- and middle-income New Yorkers, including families, multi-earner households, and those whose incomes do not align with luxury rents on a per-square-foot basis. Reductions in entry-level roles may boost short-term efficiency for individual firms, but they pose real risks to New York’s broader economic ecosystem.

A weaker pipeline of young professionals will ultimately make it harder for companies to develop talent, evolve and grow. Business leaders should recognize that workforce decisions don’t operate in isolation. If AI reduces the number of entry-level white-collar jobs, the implications extend beyond the labor market. They reach into the composition, pricing and long-term adaptability of our housing stock.

If demand for studios and one-bedrooms softens, developers and policymakers will need to grapple with how to absorb a housing stock heavily weighted toward small units, how to adapt existing buildings, and how to ensure that new development reflects a broader range of household types. Financing norms and inertia will continue to push developers toward the same unit mix unless there is a deliberate adjustment in how projects are underwritten and approved.

Unwittingly or not, New York’s leading employers and its housing developers are making decisions that are deeply interconnected. If companies embrace a future with fewer entry-level roles, they are not just reshaping their business model, they are reshaping who is demanding housing. And if that demand shifts, the housing industry cannot continue building as if nothing has changed.

We’re looking forward to joining clients, collaborators, thought leaders, and changemakers at the Urban Land Institute’s 2026 Spring Meeting in Nashville. As the industry comes together to exchange ideas and shape the future of cities, our team will share insights from decades of work at the intersection of real estate, economic development, and resilience.

Speaking Engagements:

Kate Collignon speaking on “Office Then, What Now? Lessons and Predictions for Office-to-Residential Conversions Nationwide” — Wednesday, May 6, 2:30–3:30 PM. Kate joins moderator and former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and practitioners from Hines and Beyer Blinder Belle to examine what actually drives successful conversions — building stock, regulatory conditions, and project partnerships — drawing on case studies from Washington, D.C., Houston, and beyond.

Connect with all of our HR&A attendees at the Fall meeting:

Mason Ailstock — Partner, Atlanta, University Development and Innovation Council

Amitabh Barthakur — Partner, Los Angeles, ULI Public/Private Partnership Council

Kate Collignon — Partner, San Francisco, ULI Public Development and Infrastructure Council

Kate Wittels — Partner, New York

Derek Fleming — Senior Advisor, New York

Thomas Jansen — Principal, New York, ULI Urban Revitalization Council

In just her first 100 days in office, Mayor Dr. Dorcey L. Applyrs has set a powerful example of what it looks like to shape governing priorities in partnership with the community. Earlier this month, the City of Albany released the Activate Albany Action Plan. The plan is a 30-step, community-driven policy agenda directly shaped by input from more than 6,300 residents in the largest and most inclusive public engagement effort in the city’s history.

The plan’s recommendations focus on advancing economic development, public safety, arts and culture, and opportunities for Albany’s youth. Several priorities are already moving forward, including the creation of an Office of Violence Prevention and inclusionary zoning reform.

We are proud to have supported this historic transition and engagement process upon Mayor Applyrs’ election and to see Albany lead with a model that centers community voices and turns their insights into action.

Activate Albany marks the first deployment of Local Progress’ Executive Transition Fund, which supports incoming local elected officials fighting for racial and economic justice, be ready to govern on Day 1 with skilled leadership teams, community-driven policy agendas, and new systems of co-governance and community engagement.

Read the full Press release here.

Related Coverage:

Albany’s 100-day survey reveals top priorities for residents — WYNT

Albany mayor maintains positive outlook after first 100 days — WAMC

Albany mayor shares policy plans after first 100 days — News 10

100 days in office, Mayor Applyrs shares results of Activate Albany community survey — CBS6Albany

Photos : Robert Gertler, Director of Digital & Community Communications, City of Albany

We’re proud to share that HR&A Managing Partner Kate Collignon has been appointed to SPUR’s San Francisco City Advisory Board — joining 4 other new members committed to making the Bay Area a place where everyone can thrive.

Kate has spent her career helping cities navigate some of their hardest questions: how to grow equitably, how to build housing at scale, and how to reimagine urban centers for what comes next. Her work spans downtowns across the country, along with deep roots in California, where HR&A was founded and where our Bay Area team is growing.

With Kate’s background and SPUR’s focus on planning, housing, and good government, we look forward to what’s ahead.

Learn more about SPUR and the other appointees here. 

This press release was originally issued by the Mayor’s office.

NEW ORLEANS, LA — Today, Mayor Helena Moreno gathered with civic leaders whose work shaped her administration’s first 100 days at a celebration held at Gallier Hall, releasing the All In for New Orleans: 100-Day Report and laying out her priorities for the term ahead.

“The mandate came from 5,800 residents,” Mayor Moreno told the audience. “The plan is in your hands. The work continues tomorrow.”

The celebration capped a transition built around the city’s most extensive community engagement effort in recent memory. Nearly 300 civic leaders served across seven policy committees, and an All In survey collected nearly 5,800 responses citywide. Over 400 residents participated in in-person events.

Accomplishments during the first 100 days of the Moreno administration

Moreno opened by highlighting what she called the basics, things broken for years and accepted as normal. She pointed to 2,300 streetlights repaired using crime risk data, 10,000 potholes filled and the city’s first in-house concrete repairs in over 20 years, and a suite of fiscal reforms that cut Q1 overtime spending by $8 million and recovered approximately $7 million in uncollected revenue through 145 sales tax audits, nearly matching the total conducted in all of 2025.

On economic opportunity, Mayor Moreno highlighted permit approval timelines cut from 40 days to 14, the groundbreaking of the Naval Support Activity site in the Bywater delivering nearly 300 affordable housing units alongside Newlab New Orleans, and the return of a full-service grocery store to New Orleans East. “When those doors opened in February, people were emotional,” she said. “New Orleans East residents have been deprioritized for far too long.” She also pointed to four affordable housing groundbreakings in 100 days, including the 103-unit BW Cooper senior community, and the opening of Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park.

On public safety, Mayor Moreno described Mardi Gras 2026 as one of the safest in recent memory, made possible by a convening, held on Day Two of the Moreno administration, of state and federal law enforcement partners for the first time in years. She also highlighted the reopening of WIC services in Algiers, expanded SNAP and Medicaid enrollment brought directly into communities across the city, and the launch of a Substance Use Mobile Resource Clinic that connected 219 people to services in its first week.

Transition co-chairs who spoke at the event applauded the progress made in the first 100 days of the administration.

“The Mayor listened to the community. Civic leaders worked hand-in-hand with the administration to develop a road map. The Mayor put together the right team, and together they’ve worked 24/7 to deliver.” said Emily Arata, who co-chaired the transition.

“I spent a decade in Congress watching cities rise and fall based on one factor more than almost any other: whether their leaders knew how to work beyond City Hall,” said Cedric Richmond, former U.S. Congressman and transition co-chair. “The relationships Mayor Moreno is building right now, with the congressional delegation, with parish presidents, at the state capitol, will pay dividends for this city for years.”

“Every issue is a public safety issue: blight, broken street lights, a young person without a job,” said Desirée Charbonnet, former Chief Judge of New Orleans Municipal Court and transition co-chair. “This Mayor understands that. The N.O.D.I.C.E. program, the Violence Prevention Ecosystem, the Algiers neighborhood intervention — this is what it looks like when a city treats public safety as a whole-of-government responsibility.”

“Permitting timelines cut from 40 days to 14; City-owned sites put back into productive use; a groundbreaking at the NSA site, bringing 300 affordable units and a clean energy hub to the Bywater,” said Ryan Berger, business leader and transition co-chair. “The energy in the city is different, and the business community, both locally and from afar, has taken notice: New Orleans is open for business.”

The path forward: Delivering on community priorities surfaced through the All In survey

Mayor Moreno devoted the second half of her remarks to commitments drawn directly from what residents said they need.

She committed to making in-house repair capacity permanent and pursuing the funding and legislative authority to reform the Sewerage and Water Board. “HB 573 is the start,” she said. “The goal is an accountable, modern utility that stops waking up mayors at 3 in the morning.”

On economic opportunity, she outlined plans to scale permitting reforms, deliver a coordinated workforce development strategy connecting employers and job seekers, and develop a long-term regional public transportation agenda, calling reliable transit a top priority for young people and lower-income residents.

On public safety, she committed to a prevention-focused strategy that addresses the conditions driving crime, expanding youth pathways to employment, and treating blight and disinvestment with the same urgency brought to enforcement.

On neighborhood investment, she announced a City Hall Annex coming to New Orleans East, plans for a new municipal complex, and a five-year housing strategy to increase supply and close affordability gaps, paired with an integrated homelessness response.

“We have the will,” Mayor Moreno closed. “We are finding the way. Are you all in?”

The mayoral transition fund was supported by the New Orleans Community Support Foundation, a subsidiary of the Greater New Orleans Foundation, serving as fiscal sponsor. No city funds were used. Community engagement was supported by community-based organizations, including Council on Aging of Greater New Orleans, Committee for a Better New Orleans, Eternal Seeds, New Orleans East Leadership (NOEL), Mary Queen of Vietnam Church, Step Up Louisiana, and Young Leadership Council.  HR&A Advisors served as a strategic implementation partner to the transition and community engagement process. PFM provided budgetary and fiscal policy advisory services.

The All In for New Orleans: 100-Day Report is available at [nola.gov/100-day-report].

Full survey findings are available at [nola.gov/survey-findings], and an interactive dashboard is available at [nola.gov/survey-dashboard].

Deep community engagement and moving with speed are often treated as tradeoffs. Mayor Helena Moreno proved otherwise. As the first Latina to be elected mayor of New Orleans, she inherited a city facing a severe budget crisis and residents who had stopped expecting government to show up. Her response was to do both things at once: fix what was broken, and bring the community into government decision-making in a way that was substantive enough to earn that trust back.

HR&A’s team, led by Andrea Batista Schlesinger, was honored to help design and manage her transition, including supporting the Mayor’s Office to run a large-scale civic engagement initiative to identify community priorities and the concrete steps the City will take to deliver on them. Nearly 300 civic leaders served on seven policy committees covering economic development, housing, homelessness, public safety, youth and families, arts and culture, investing in New Orleans East, and government operations, shaping the administration’s priorities for the first 100 days and beyond. The citywide All In survey they helped design reached nearly 5,800 residents, and over 400 more shared their priorities directly with City leaders at in-person events across every Council district.

Civic leaders were then invited back to translate what residents said into concrete steps the City will take, from immediate street repairs to large-scale investments to strengthen New Orleans’ economy. The roadmap they built together is now guiding the Moreno administration’s first term.

HR&A’s CEO Jeff Hébert and members of our team were proud to join members of the administration and civic leaders at Gallier Hall to mark this important milestone for New Orleans.

Read the full press release here. 

Survey findings here.

Related Coverage: 

100 days in, Mayor Helena Moreno says she’s ‘proud of the progress,’ but more work ahead — Times Picayune Nola

The Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency approved its first $100 million in affordable housing construction funding — and we’re proud to have supported the effort from the beginning.

Over the past year, HR&A has been working alongside LACAHSA’s leadership to develop the Agency’s Expenditure Plan and Agency Strategy — designing the financing frameworks, jurisdictional coordination structures, and programmatic toolkit that position LACAHSA to deploy over $380 million annually for housing production, preservation, and renter protection across L.A. County.

This week’s funding approval marks a pivotal moment. The LA Times highlighted what makes LACAHSA different: by acting as a true one-stop shop, the agency can reduce development costs by as much as 12% and cut months off project timelines — translating directly into more units built faster.

Congratulations to LACAHSA CEO Ryan Johnson, Board Chair Mayor Rex Richardson, and the entire LACAHSA team on this milestone!

Read the full LA Times story here.

Read the Expenditure plan here.

Cities don’t have the luxury of treating climate change as a future problem. The decisions being made right now — about buildings, energy systems, coastlines, and infrastructure — will shape whether cities can keep their promises to residents on both resilience and affordability.

This Earth Day, we’re reflecting on the work HR&A teams have been doing across the country and beyond to help communities navigate complex pressures created by climate change.

Tackling the Dual Crises of Climate and Affordability — Rising energy costs and housing unaffordability are not separate emergencies. For HR&A, the central question is how we decarbonize cities at speed without making life harder for the people who are already most vulnerable.

• Reimagine Ravenswood — HR&A recently led “Reimagine Ravenswood,” a community-driven site reuse, neighborhood improvement, and workforce development planning process to guide a just transition for the largest fossil fuel plant in New York City to an inclusive clean energy economy in western QueenResearch, innovation, and long-term regional prosperity
• Affordable Housing and Decarbonization Solutions —  One of our favorite things to do at HR&A is to roll up our sleeves alongside the smartest people working to address issues facing cities and turn good ideas into workable solutions. We recently hosted a salon-style conversation in our New York Office about the tension between decarbonization and affordability and developed a few solutions to move the needle

Scaling Clean Energy Equitably – The clean energy transition won’t be evenly distributed unless equity is a design principle from the start. HR&A works across energy policy, real estate, and community development to help partners build programs that reach the people who need them most.

• Public Solar NYC — HR&A helped the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice assess the feasibility of NYC’s first public solar program targeting low- and moderate-income residents. The program has since secured $250 million in federal funding.

• Con Edison Building Decarbonization —  Since 2020, HR&A has supported Con Edison’s strategy for incentivizing building decarbonization across NYC and Westchester County in support of New York State’s goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions 85% by 2050.

• Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity (R2E2)—  HR&A is helping cities and community organizations design energy upgrade programs that advance decarbonization without triggering displacement or rent increases, with partnerships now scaling nationwide

Building Resilience for the Long Term — Climate resilience is no longer a planning aspiration — it is a fiscal and moral imperative. HR&A helps governments translate climate risk into concrete strategies and investment priorities that hold up over time.

• Honolulu Climate Financial Risk Assessment  —  HR&A is supporting the City and County of Honolulu in assessing climate-related financial risks and developing funding and budgeting strategies for long-term adaptation to coastal erosion, flooding, and hurricanes.

• Queens 2100—  Principal Jonathan Haragold joined a study that moves past whether coastal flooding will disrupt Queens neighborhoods — and focuses on when, how much, and what we can do now.

Our Leaders in Climate Conversations – From municipal finance to seismic resilience to urban sustainability, HR&A’s leaders are showing up in the rooms where climate policy is being made. Here’s where we’ve been lately.

• Director Hannah Glosser at the ULI Resilience Summit—  Director Hannah Glosser was featured in Smart Cities Dive for her work on one of climate adaptation’s hardest questions: when and how communities should retreat from areas of unmanageable risk

• Jeff Hébert at the Adaptation Forum— HR&A’s CEO spoke on what it takes to move from climate risk to resilience. As a former Chief Resilience Officer of New Orleans, Jeff brings firsthand experience with what recovery actually demands and what cities need to do before disaster strikes

• Ignacio Montojo at the GARI Summit — Partner Ignacio Montojo joined the Global Adaptation & Resilience Investment Working Group to explore why the $4 trillion municipal bond market is uniquely positioned to fund local climate resilience and what it means for how cities access financing and manage climate-driven fiscal risk

• Kate Collignon at SPUR’s 1906 Earthquake Forum— Partner Kate Collignon served as an advisor on SPUR’s seismic safety policy brief and joined a timely conversation on what cities need to do now to prepare for the next major earthquake.