All posts in “News”

HR&A Celebrates the City of Montclair’s Merit Award from the American Planning Association

HR&A Advisors is proud to share that the City of Montclair General Plan has received a Merit Award in the Comprehensive Plan category from the American Planning Association (APA) Inland Empire Section. This recognition reflects the outstanding work of a multi-disciplinary team led by Rangwala Associates, in close collaboration with the City.

 

As part of this effort, HR&A prepared the Citywide Economic Development Element and supported the Arrow Highway Mixed-use District (AHMUD) Specific Plan. Our work included market analysis, creation of a re-usable fiscal impact tool, identification of long-term economic opportunities, and strategic recommendations to guide sustainable growth and development.

 

We are honored to have played a role in creating a forward-looking and actionable plan that provides Montclair with the tools and strategies needed to guide sustainable growth over the next two decades. Congratulations to the City of Montclair and Rangwala Associates on this well-deserved recognition!

 

City of Venice Named Illinois Grocery Initiative Grantee

Congratulations to the grocery project leaders in Venice, Champaign, Roodhouse, Marion, Aledo, Rockford, and Galesburg on securing $10 million in funding through the Illinois Grocery Initiative! These grants will help combat food deserts across the state by supporting the construction and renovation of new grocery stores, as well as covering many first-year operational costs.

 

HR&A is proud to have supported the Venice Revitalization Project in preparing their successful grant application. We’re excited to see how a municipally-owned grocery store can expand access to affordable, healthy food for the residents of Venice!

 

Learn more about the Illinois Grocery Initiative.

The Retail Reckoning: Why New York has too much ground floor commercial space — and what to do with it

This op-ed written by Sulin Carling and Larisa Ortiz was originally published by Vital City.

 

Take a walk down nearly any street in Lower Manhattan, and you’ll see a startling number of vacant storefronts. One out of every four floor-level retail spaces sits empty. Walking these streets can feel eerie and disjointed — part of a broader shift in our city’s street life that occurred gradually over time and accelerated following the pandemic.  Manhattan’s business districts are particularly troubled. In the Financial District, for example, 24% of retail space was vacant this past November, according to the most recent City report, compared to 17% pre-COVID. In East Midtown, vacancy rates reached 19% in the same report, compared to 11% pre-COVID.  

 

Most significantly, there are clusters of prolonged vacancies: 35% of the city’s vacant storefronts have been vacant since the beginning of 2020. By contrast, decades ago, Manhattan’s commercial districts typically maintained vacancy rates below 5%. Put simply, we’ve got an excess of ground floor retail space — and it’s time for the City to take bold steps to address the imbalance.

 

This begins by acknowledging that retail in central business districts is undergoing a deep structural transformation, accelerated by COVID and driven by shifting commuting patterns and changing consumer preferences. Once dominated by office workers, our central business districts, historically the city’s economic engines, are changing before our very eyes.

 

The causes of retail oversupply are multifaceted and frankly, still in flux. Some employers are mandating a full-time return to the office. But the Partnership for New York reports that just 57% of Manhattan office workers are at their workplace on an average weekday — and only 10% are in full-time. Yes, Class A office space is rebounding, but vacancy rates for Class B and C office buildings remain stubbornly high, dragging down foot traffic. And of course, the fewer workers, the less spending in local retail establishments during lunch or for happy hour.

 

E-commerce is another drag on consumer demand for brick-and-mortar retail: According to the Department of City Planning, Manhattan had a net loss of 875 stores between 2020 and 2024, driven by declines in “dry retail” such as clothing, furniture and electronics stores — items increasingly purchased online.

 

Despite the shift in consumer demand, retail overbuilding has persisted, driven by decades of policies that required ground-floor retail in new developments, and by the construction of hundreds of millions of square feet of suburban malls that slowly supplanted the central role that urban retail once played in people’s lives. No longer was a trip to “the city” necessary to access the same quality of goods and services as before. COVID didn’t create these challenges, but it certainly accelerated them. The challenges left behind are a wake-up call for all of us that our downtowns are ready for a new iteration.

 

If office workers — and their wallets — aren’t coming back in full force, we need to attract other types of customers who will replace their spending. Residents and tourists, in particular, will become increasingly important drivers of spending potential. And while yesterday’s office workers wanted midday lunch spots, tomorrow’s residents will want grocery stores, and tourists will want unique cultural experiences. Retail follows markets; in the long run, our ground-floor retail offerings will morph to meet those needs if we help them.

 

Converting outdated office buildings to housing is a powerful solution for giving our business districts new life that has been unlocked through recent zoning changes and state incentives. As more people begin to live in — rather than commute to — the Financial District and Midtown, these areas will need to transform into residential neighborhoods where people want to live, fueled by public investments including safe streets, and civic infrastructure, like community centers and libraries, as championed by initiatives like the recently announced City of Yes for Families.

 

Tourism is yet another powerful economic driver for New York City. In 2024, New York welcomed nearly 65 million visitors, the second-highest figure in the city’s history. Growing this number further will require sustained support of entertainment, culture and the arts to ensure that New York remains among the world’s premier cultural capitals. Moving forward, however, we will need to keep a close eye on the detrimental economic impacts of federal policies that compromise our appeal to international visitors.

 

As we look to the future, city leaders must be willing to embrace a new vision for our central business districts — one grounded not in pre-COVID nostalgia, but rather rooted in the ways people live, visit and play today. To support this transition and the next generation of retailers and small business entrepreneurs, we recommend urban policies across four critical areas: regulation, capital investment, programming and private-sector incentives.

 

The first step is to rethink outdated regulatory frameworks. New York City’s recently passed City of Yes for Economic Opportunity plan enacted zoning changes that allow for more uses on commercial corridors, such as a wider range of entertainment uses and makerspaces. This is an excellent first step, but we need to go further in embracing ground-floor flexibility. Retail is no longer a one-size-fits-all solution, particularly in areas where storefronts have long struggled to succeed. In some cases, flexibility might mean allowing non-retail uses or even residential units on ground floors, especially on quieter side streets. But these uses must still engage the street. That’s where design guidelines become essential, encouraging features that keep the public realm active and welcoming, like elevated ground floors, frequent entrances and thoughtful landscaping.

 

We must also invest in the physical infrastructure that makes neighborhoods livable for new users. This includes not just improvements to parks and public spaces, but also enhancements to transit and mobility — bike lanes, ferry access, accessible subway service and critical social infrastructure like playgrounds and childcare facilities. These investments lay the foundation for more inclusive, dynamic communities.

 

Beyond the built environment, programming plays a vital role in drawing people back to our business districts. Activating underutilized spaces through pop-ups, small business support and cultural programming can spark renewed interest and foot traffic. One of the most compelling examples of this remains The Gates, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s 2005 installation in Central Park. It generated $254 million in economic activity and left a cultural imprint so strong that tourists still seek out memorabilia more than two decades later. It’s a reminder of how bold, creative initiatives can reshape our experience of place — and drive real economic value.

 

Finally, to truly transform our downtowns, we must unlock private investment. The City should consider repealing the commercial rent tax, which applies to commercial tenants in most of Manhattan, for storefront businesses, who could use the extra economic boost. While tax incentives have been created to support the conversion of office buildings to housing in New York, we should go further. For antiquated office buildings that cannot be easily converted, we should create a new incentive for tearing them down and replacing them with housing. New housing means new residents — and new residents mean renewed spending power, the lifeblood of vibrant ground floors.

 

In the end, the path forward isn’t about recreating what once was. It’s about building something better — an urban environment that invites people back for more than just work. As New Yorkers, we are bullish. Our city has a long history of leading the way in urban innovation and embracing dynamic change. It’s time to harness this strength and create a new ground-floor landscape that supports the way we live and work today.

 

Sulin Carling is a principal at HR&A Advisors, an economic development and public policy consulting firm, where she works with clients on place-based economic development. Larisa Ortiz is managing director of public nonprofit solutions at Streetsense. A Fulbright Scholar and Watson Fellow, she is the author of “Improving Tenant Mix” and a former New York City planning commissioner.

HR&A collaborated with Wake County to launch an interactive housing platform to inform growth

This press release was originally issued by Wake County.

New platform delivers real-time housing trends and insights

 

Wake County is giving residents, local leaders and housing advocates a powerful new tool to understand the housing landscape and shape the future of their communities. The county’s new Housing Data Dashboard is now live, offering a one-stop hub for exploring key trends in population growth, affordability, supply and demand.

 

“This tool will help us all make informed decisions about how we grow and where we invest,” said Chair Susan Evans with the Wake County Board of Commissioners. “The more we understand the full picture, the more effectively we can address housing challenges and create opportunity for all.”

 

The dashboard comes at a pivotal time. Wake County’s population has grown nearly 10 percent in the last decade, with more than 41,000 people moving in from other parts of the country last year alone. Median rent rose by more than 26 percent since 2018, placing increased strain on renters. Nearly 61,000 renter households now spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, which is considered cost burdened.

 

By making this data accessible to everyone, the platform aims to foster more coordinated, data-driven responses to Wake County’s most urgent housing needs. It allows users to explore interactive charts and maps, dig into trends across demographics, affordability and supply, and export reports tailored to their communities.

 

Wake County partnered with HR&A Advisors Inc. to develop the dashboard. Their team helped build a platform that delivers both deep analytical capabilities for internal staff and actionable insights for the public.

State of Downtown 2024: How HR&A’s Research Guides DC’s Urban Future

HR&A recently led the research and analysis for the DowntownDC BID’s annual State of Downtown report, unveiled at their 2024 State of Downtown Forum. 

 

This report provides a vital framework for understanding downtown DC’s landscape and future trajectory. Our data-driven insights have identified economic shifts reshaping the nation’s capital. As downtown districts navigate post-pandemic realities, HR&A remains committed to developing strategies for vibrant, resilient urban centers. 

 

Read the Report.  

AI is rewriting the rules of workspaces

This op-ed was originally published by Crains New York Business.

 

For too long, the office has been shaped by rigid zoning laws, inflexible lease structures and outdated underwriting standards. These frameworks were designed for a world where work meant sitting in an office from 9 to 5, five days a week. That world is gone. The rise of hybrid work, AI and automation is rewriting what it means to work.

 

We built workspaces to produce — that meant assembling cars in the Industrial Age or crunching numbers in the Information Age. The advent of AI is ushering in the Age of Imagination, where ideas are the new currency. Physical workspaces remain essential — not as rigid containers for productivity but as dynamic environments where ideas are born, tested, refined and brought to life.

 

As AI gets more powerful, it will drive us to have more and more digital “colleagues.” And as we spend more of the workday interacting in the virtual world, we will need the office to reinforce “Going to work” has always been more than a job; it’s a human experience. It’s where diverse perspectives collide, unexpected friendships form, and ideas take shape. And these moments don’t just happen at a desk — they happen on the way there, too. A packed subway ride, a quick stop at the bodega, a nod to the same stranger on the sidewalk each morning — these small, everyday interactions tether us to the pulse of a city. They remind us that work isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about being human.

 

As William Whyte argued in The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, the most vibrant environments are those that facilitate these informal encounters, encouraging human connection and creativity. And that human connection must be strengthened by the physical office, driving better products, smarter strategies, and stronger businesses. In the Age of Imagination, work won’t be confined to four walls. It won’t be about working more; it will be about working better, in spaces designed for the full spectrum of human potential. To do this we will need a built environment that keeps pace with the world around it. Office spaces that flex with human needs.

 

Construction systems that prioritize speed and reconfiguration over demolition. Policies that enable cities to adapt in real-time, shifting alongside economic and technological forces. Imagine a city where workspaces transform as quickly as ideas — where architecture and public policy isn’t a limitation, but a catalyst for progress.

 

Technology is outpacing our commercial office districts, but it doesn’t have to outmatch them. Consider Hudson Yards: When its master plan was released in 2003, the first iPhone was still four years away. That’s how fast the world changes. City builders — architects, policymakers, developers, bankers and builders — must embrace change.

 

We need zoning laws that allow for flexible office spaces that can adapt to shifting workforce needs. Lease structures should accommodate the ebb and flow of hybrid work, rather than locking companies into long-term commitments that no longer make sense. Underwriting standards must support adaptability, recognizing that commercial real estate success is no longer about filling floors with desks but about creating dynamic, multi-use environments.

 

But flexibility alone won’t cut it. We need to ask bigger questions. How will city grids handle AI’s skyrocketing energy demands? Will we have more retail and leisure activities if work requires less in-person, human labor? Can we redesign education and workforce training to focus on how we ideate, collaborate and leverage AI?

 

The question isn’t whether the office will survive AI — it’s how boldly we shape it to thrive in the Age of Imagination. If we get this right, AI won’t replace the office — it will elevate it, unlocking new opportunities for connection, creativity and prosperity. The future isn’t about diminishing physical offices; it’s about imagining environments that are more human—spaces that breathe, evolve and become essential in shaping the realities to come.

 

Kate Wittels is a partner at HR&A Advisors, an economic development and public policy consulting firm, and an adjunct professor at Columbia University.


Angelica Trevino Baccon is a principal at SHoP Architects.

New Report Charts Vision to End New York City’s Foster Care to Homelessness Pipeline

This press release was originally issued by the Center for Fair Futures.

 

(New York, NY) – Thrust into New York City’s impossibly tight housing market, youth in and exiting foster care face extreme housing precarity and, too often, homelessness. A new report released today, Housing Justice for Young People Aging out of Foster Care in New York City, lays out a five-year plan to provide 800 new homes for youth exiting foster care. Its findings present an opportunity for policymakers, service providers, and mission-driven investors to come together to prevent homelessness for a uniquely at-risk population. 

 

“Current and former foster youth, like I once was, struggle to find safe and stable housing in New York City,” said Anthony Turner, Director for The Center For Fair Futures’ Youth Advisory Board (YAB). “It’s time that stopped, and this report, led by young people impacted by the foster care system, shows us how to change the life trajectories of hundreds of young people aging out of foster care.” 

 

National research has found that 31 to 46 percent of transition-aged foster youth had experienced homelessness at least once before they turned 26. In New York City, of the 429 youth who aged out of foster care in 2023, 31 percent had to stay in a foster or group home because they simply had no other housing options. 

 

“The Center for Fair Futures is working toward a future where all young people are equipped and empowered to reach their highest potential,” said The Center’s Executive Director, Tracy Jenkins. “That future begins with the stability that high-quality housing provides.”

 

Buoyed by a successful advocacy effort in 2023, which secured over $30 million in annual funding for one-to-one coaching to assist New York City youth aged 14 to 26 in and exiting foster care, Fair Futures has partnered with three dedicated organizations to develop a comprehensive housing solution for all youth exiting care in New York City. 

 

Alongside The Children’s Village, HR&A Advisors and Good River Partners, The Center for Fair Futures and its Youth Advisory Board developed Housing Justice for Young People Aging out of Foster Care in New York City. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation provided funding to support the project.

 

A key part of the report’s findings was guided by the work of the Fair Futures Housing Design Fellowship, led by six youth leaders who struggled to find housing after leaving foster care. 

 

“Each year in New York, young people aging out of foster care face limited housing options and often homelessness. This report, created by young adults with lived experience, outlines a 5-year plan for affordable housing for all youth exiting foster care. The Children’s Village is proud to support this initiative and advance its goals through our proven model of beautiful and affordable homes in desirable neighborhoods,” said Jeremy Kohomban, President and CEO of The Children’s Village.

 

The housing design fellows set a housing justice standard for transition-aged foster youth, wherein youth have affordable housing that promotes health, well-being, and upward mobility by confronting the harms and disparities caused by a lack of affordable housing in desirable neighborhoods. 

 

With that definition of just housing in hand, HR&A Advisors, one of the nation’s preeminent real estate development and public policy consulting firms, modeled three opportunities to blend traditional, market-driven private investment with mission-motivated capital, generating returns of 4% – 6% for mission-aligned funders. Their research finds that through a mixture of private capital and policy change, there is a viable pathway to set aside – over five years – 800 homes for youth exiting the system, effectively ending the City’s foster care to homelessness and housing insecurity pipeline. 

 

The report outlines ten steps the City of New York, the State, housing developers and operators, and mission-driven investors should take in 2025 to:

    • Adopt crucial policy changes to take full advantage of every available tool and federal dollar to address the unmet housing needs of young people aging out of care.
    • Leverage existing housing stock in New York City to meet the needs and desires of young people aging out of foster care, prioritizing apartments that adhere to the quality standards developed by the Fair Futures Housing Design Fellows.
    • Design a Fair Futures Housing Fund, a new dedicated source of capital that will generate returns for investors while accelerating the development of housing that meets the quality standards developed by the Housing Design Fellows. 

     

    These, and the other recommendations embedded in Housing Justice for Young People Aging out of Foster Care in New York City, provide a clear roadmap for the City to dramatically curtail homelessness and housing insecurity among youth impacted by foster care.

     

    “This is a solvable problem. We are grateful to the Housing Design Fellows, who have collectively lived in dozens of difficult situations and know firsthand that a safe, quality home can be life-changing. With policy changes and mission-driven private capital, there is a viable pathway to making sure that every young person aging out of care can access the home they need and deserve,” said Sarah Solon, Senior Principal and leader of HR&A Advisors’ nationwide work to end homelessness

     

    “The number of young adults who end up homeless after aging out of the foster care system should be a resounding zero,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “With creative solutions and policy changes that set aside homes for young people exiting the shelter system, we can meet the needs of some of the city’s most vulnerable residents. I commend the people who used their experience struggling to find housing when transitioning out of foster care to make sure that the next generation aging out will not have to face those same challenges.”

     

    “As someone who worked many years in social services, I understand that safe, quality housing is the foundation for a healthy and productive life,” said Assembly Member Manny De Los Santos from District 72.  “I’ve seen firsthand the struggles our young people face especially those aging out of foster care as they try to secure stable housing while navigating so many other challenges. That’s why I’m committed to supporting efforts that expand affordable housing options and break the cycle of housing insecurity. We must invest in their futures.” 

     

    “Foster kids face numerous obstacles, however, homelessness shouldn’t be one of them,” said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing. “No child should feel alone. Yet, far too many of our kids are forced to stay in untenable or undesirable living situations because of a lack of affordable housing. Housing Justice for Young People’s report is a blueprint on how to build a more inclusive future for New York’s youngest residents. I look forward to working together to create bold, much-needed change to ensure every child reaches their full potential.”

     

    “New York City is facing an existential housing crisis and our youth is at the brunt of this issue,” said Council Member Rita Joseph, Chair of the Committee on Education. “Now more than ever holistic approaches are needed to better support and guide our youngest and most vulnerable New Yorkers to gain access to housing. This report provides a bold vision to address the housing issue in New York City that is affecting our youth and signals a strong message of restoring dignity and equity. I remain committed to championing affordable, equitable and accessible housing for foster youth across our city.”

     

    About the Partners

     

    The Center for Fair Futures

    The Center for Fair Futures is a youth-led advocacy movement and coalition of 100+ organizations and foundations advocating for all young people in New York City’s foster care system to have access to the long-term, comprehensive supports they need to achieve their potential.

     

    The Center for Fair Futures Youth Advisory Board (YAB)

    The YAB is composed of 17 young adults impacted by the child welfare system in New York City. The YAB is dedicated to advocating for New York City’s foster youth, so they have the supports they need to thrive. In 2023, the Fair Futures Youth Advisory Board was successful in securing and baselining a $30.7 million annual investment from the City of New York, making NYC the first in the nation to support young people in foster care through age 26 with public funding. Youth, beginning at age 14, have access to a coaching program that provides 1:1 coaching and tutoring to help young people achieve their academic, career development, and independent living/life goals from 9th grade through age 26.

     

    The Children’s Village 

    The Children’s Village (CV) is committed to the wellbeing of children, teens, and families by advocating for, strengthening, and reuniting families; building community partnerships; creating innovative programs; and connecting people to resources that focus on basic needs and human rights.

     

    With nearly 175-year history of caring for children and families, CV’s mission and impact are carried out through several focused strategies: prevention of child and family separation; temporary care and treatment for youth who cannot remain with family; support for youth development and transition; and our wide array of community investments that includes crisis response and model housing development.

     

    The Children’s Village has pioneered several projects that bring to life the quality standards developed by our Housing Design Fellows. In the summer of 2024, the nonprofit opened the doors of the Eliza, a 14-story, deeply affordable housing development in the desirable, racially integrated community of Inwood, Manhattan, available to all, including young people aging out of foster care. 

     

    HR&A Advisors  

    HR&A Advisors is a mission-driven, employee-owned firm that advises public, private, non-profit, and philanthropic clients to help them create vital places, build more equitable and resilient communities, and improve people’s lives. Across the country, HR&A works with partners inside and outside of local government to shape, scale, and sustain solutions to homelessness. HR&A’s work to end homelessness is a partnership between our Affordable Housing and Inclusive Cities practices. HR&A’s Affordable Housing Practice creates funds, plans, policies, programs, and strategies that address local needs and priorities, align community goals with market conditions, and advise clients to build and preserve affordable housing. HR&A’s Inclusive Cities practice translates the ideas of communities and their advocates into meaningful systems change within local government. Working with visionary clients from grassroots activists to elected city and county leaders, we leverage our deep understanding of government, knowledge of local and private economic forces, and analytical rigor to promote social and economic justice.

     

    Good River Partners 

    Good River Partners is a public benefit firm focused on ending the foster care to homelessness pipeline nationally. To accomplish this mission, Good River is working to finance and scale the development and acquisition of high-quality housing for youth in and exiting foster care. 

     

New Study Offers Data-Driven Approach for Office-to-Housing Conversions

Press release issued by Gensler, Brookings Metro, and HR&A Advisors.

 

As American cities grapple with persistently high office vacancies and an escalating housing crisis, a new report provides critical insights into the potential for converting office buildings into residential spaces. “Understanding Office-to-Residential Conversion: Lessons from Six U.S. Case Studies” examines conversion activity in HoustonLos AngelesPittsburghSt. LouisStamford, and Winston-Salem, offering a roadmap for policymakers and developers navigating this complex process.

 

This research—produced by Brookings Metro, Gensler, HRA Advisors, and Cara Eckholm Studio, with support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) —provides a data-driven framework to help cities optimize office-to-residential (O2R) policy and practice.

 

The report finds that office-to-residential conversions present a strategic opportunity to tackle three pressing urban issues:

    • Unmet housing demand: Cities like Los Angeles face a critical shortage of housing, particularly for lower-income households.
    • Office market distress: Many downtowns, such as Pittsburgh’s, are struggling to repurpose aging office stock as tenant needs evolve, putting pressure on local tax revenues.
    • Downtown vibrancy: Many cities are seeing weekly visits at less than 50% of pre-pandemic levels, resulting in small businesses struggling and downtowns feeling empty.

     

    While some cities have seen organic conversion activity in high-demand housing markets, the report emphasizes that in many cases, local policy and financial incentives are essential to making projects viable.

     


    “Our research on downtown areas across the country shows that the most successful urban cores serve multiple purposes and attract diverse groups of people throughout the day and week,” said Jon Meyers, HR&A Partner. “Converting empty office space for new uses presents a strong opportunity to help downtowns thrive as economic engines for their cities and regions. Our study highlights various strategies that are already working in different cities, and we invite local leaders to use these insights to help identify their priorities, recognize opportunities in their communities, and implement the right tools to achieve their goals.”

     

    “Too often, policy discussions around office-to-residential conversions focus on politics rather than the real data needed to make informed decisions,” said Steven Paynter, Principal at Gensler. “This study is different. We conducted in-depth research on both the physical realities of downtown buildings and the financial feasibility of conversions. Our approach is grounded in facts—real data, real buildings, and real economic conditions—so that cities can craft policies that actually work in the real world.”

     

    Through a combination of market analysis, stakeholder interviews, and architectural feasibility assessments, the study identifies four key levers that cities can use to facilitate office-to-residential conversions:

      • Regulatory flexibility: Zoning and building code reforms, such as allowing conversions by-right, help to accelerate projects.
      • Financial incentives: Tools like tax abatements, historic preservation credits, and low-cost financing help bridge the feasibility gap.
      • Demand-driven strategies: Investments in public space, transit, and amenities can boost residential appeal in former office corridors.
      • Targeted subsidies: Inclusionary zoning or direct subsidies can ensure conversions also advance affordability and equity goals.

       

      “Every city is distinct, but by drawing insights from a diverse set of cities across the country, we’ve found common lessons and strategies,” said Kate Collignon, HR&A Partner. “Office-to-residential conversions can be a powerful tool to support broader downtown activation strategies, and the feasibility of these conversions correlates strongly with the demand for residences downtown. The more desirable we make downtown as a place where people want to live and build community, the greater the opportunity for repurposing the buildings that frame that place.”

       

      The study underscores that there is no one-size-fits-all solution—effective strategies must be tailored to each city’s fiscal structure, real estate market, and regulatory environment. Looking ahead, further research will explore the long-term scalability of O2R conversions and their potential to enhance urban resilience and economic recovery.

       

      “Office to residential conversions feel like a way to solve two problems with one solution – but what we learned from these case studies is that across cities there are differing motivations, goals, and thus policy levers that it makes sense to pull on,” said Tracy Hadden Loh, Fellow at Brookings Metro.

       

      About the Study

        This report is based on qualitative and quantitative research conducted between June and October 2024. The research team conducted interviews with public- and private-sector leaders, analyzed commercial real estate trends using CoStar data, and evaluated the architectural feasibility of conversions using Gensler’s O2R conversion algorithm.

       

      About the Research Partners

      About Gensler:
      At Gensler, the value of our work stems from its positive impact on the human experience. We are a dynamic and collaborative design firm uniting creativity, research, and innovation to solve complex problems for our clients. Our work challenges conventional ideas about architecture and the built environment. We aren’t just designing buildings — we are reimagining cities and places that make a difference in people’s lives. Founded in 1965, Gensler has built a team of 6,000 professionals who partner with clients in over 100 countries each year. Everything we do is guided by our mission: to create a better world through the power of design.
      About Brookings Metro:
      Brookings Metro is the nation’s leading source of ideas and action to create more prosperous, just, and resilient communities. In pursuit of our mission to collaborate with local leaders to transform original insights into policy and practical solutions that scale nationally, we produce trusted, actionable research; apply it through regional engagements and national networks; and connect with policymakers at all levels to inform impact at scale. Using our world-class communications platform, we share stories of change and progress that can inform and inspire impact at scale.
      About HR&A Advisors:
      HR&A Advisors, Inc. (HR&A) is an employee-owned company advising visionary clients on how to create vital places, build equitable and resilient communities, and improve people’s lives.

       

      This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under a cooperative agreement.
      Photo: Brookings Institute 

Thomas Jansen named Design Trust for Public Space’s Board of Directors Vice Chair

The Design Trust for Public Space, established in 1995, has been a transformative force in unlocking the potential of New York City’s public spaces. The non-profit organization is a nationally-recognized incubator that works closely with design professionals, community organizations, and city agencies to reshape the landscape of all five boroughs—from parks and plazas to streets and public buildings.

 

Congratulations to HR&A Principal Thomas Jansen on being named the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at the organization. We look forward to the Design Trust’s continued impact on New York City and Thomas’s contributions to the organization’s mission in this new role.

HR&A is excited to announce the launch of HousingWeaver!

HR&A is excited to announce the launch of HousingWeaver — a data analytics platform built by housing experts for housing professionals, city leaders, planners, economic development researchers, advocates, and community members to better understand and respond to their housing challenges. After nearly 50 years of working with clients to support their housing goals, HR&A packed all that expertise into HousingWeaver to help you understand and respond to your housing challenges.

What can HousingWeaver do for you?

    • Generate real-time always up-to-date housing needs assessments
    • Streamline tax credit scoring and project management
    • Model and evaluate new housing policies to understand their impact on affordability

     

    HousingWeaver puts expert-level housing analytics at your fingertips. Learn more here.