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In the Bronx, Planning a More Vibrant Future for a Hospital Campus – and its Community

This press release was originally issued by Plantizen

 

How an integrated approach to redevelopment is transforming a formerly isolated medical campus into a valuable community amenity.

 

Like many large institutions across the country, New York City’s Montefiore Einstein Hospital and medical school has functioned as a community anchor for decades, providing employment, education, and vital healthcare services for residents of the Bronx. At the same time, the physical setting of the institution’s Morris Park campus – disconnected from the surrounding neighborhood, with unclear boundaries and branding and no existing transit link – has also limited its potential as a community asset and a true regional hub. Could a more integrated planning approach help close these gaps and offer lessons for other sites and cities?

 

A new planning study offers a path forward for the Montefiore Einstein Morris Park campus and a timely model for similar institutions and municipalities. Called “Reimagining Montefiore Einstein-Morris Park as a Transit-Connected Campus,” this report was led by the member-driven land use organization Urban Land Institute New York (ULI NY) and resulted from an interdisciplinary technical assistance panel (TAP) on which this article’s authors both served. Here are a few key aspects of the study, along with takeaways that resonate well beyond the Bronx for any planning professional looking to uncover new opportunities for supporting liveability, economic development, and community benefit.

 

Plan ahead: Act quickly but thoughtfully to get in front of major policy and infrastructure changes

 

The Montefiore campus may be relatively disconnected now, but that context is rapidly changing. In this case, the Montefiore team sought to address two specific and transformative changes coming down the pipeline: a likely rezoning of the surrounding Morris Park district (which was ultimately passed by the New York City Council in summer 2024), and the planned 2027 opening of a dedicated Metro-North commuter rail station at Morris Park.

 

Taken together, these two actions have the potential to add six to nine million square feet of new real estate development to the area, attract 6,000 new residents, and create an estimated 15,000 new jobs around the station. Montefiore leaders recognized they had a new urgency in kickstarting a master-planning effort, and collaborated closely with city government and with the local real estate and planning community to help shape a pre-master-plan framework that could 1) outline core opportunities for responsibly and effectively accommodating and channelling anticipated growth and 2) be well underway by the time the new station and other new developments were in place.

 

Focusing on identity, activation, and connectivity

 

With the TAP planning team in place, Montefiore now had an opportunity to achieve decades-old goals to grow and expand intentionally, serve the community responsibly, and improve the quality of life on campus for all who visit, work, or seek care there. What does this look like from a planning perspective? Institutional leaders had several ideas. They asked the planning team to improve pedestrian connections and circulation across the campus, explore additional zoning changes to better support new development on the campus and adjacent sites, and provide planning recommendations to integrate the campus with the new train station.

 

To prioritize and give focus to these goals, the planning team identified a three-pronged framework that it felt must be in place to guide long-term decision-making about the campus. Many of these considerations are familiar to planners working with institutions, and the recommendations offer replicable and transferable ideas:

 

  1. Refine and clarify the campus’s identity. Montefiore Einstein is a pillar of the community with an excellent reputation, but many residents and visitors don’t know where the campus begins or ends or the full range of services available across its numerous buildings. Growth in the district will make distinguishing the Montefiore buildings more important and more challenging. The planning team recommended several ways to better communicate the campus’ identity to the public through consistent signage and wayfinding markers set at campus gateways, sidewalks, and buildings, as well as at the new train station to help direct rail commuters to the campus.
  2. Increase campus activation. As with many institutional campuses, Montefiore has several scattered, disconnected, and underused open spaces. It also holds numerous opportunities for redevelopment and facility renovations that more effectively activate the campus and its edges. The planning team recommended incorporating a variety of active and passive open spaces, including repositioning some of the existing open spaces as a blend of internal- and external-facing courtyards, lawns, and gardens. This would allow users from the university and community beyond to find spaces suited to their needs.

 

In a related vein, the campus is bisected by a central corridor, Morris Park Avenue. The planning team recommended reimagining this artery to continue accommodating cars, but also to reconfigure travel lanes and parking, create expansive and shaded sidewalks, introduce Montefiore branding and signage, incorporate protected bike lanes, and add a planted median with bioswales. This redesign would benefit visitors to the campus and the community at large by slowing traffic, improving non-vehicular access to and through campus, and creating opportunities to add tree canopy and green infrastructure that mitigate localized flooding, an increasingly serious issue in New York City and around the country.

 

  1. Improve connections. This third prong is in many ways the most complex and significant. Montefiore’s leadership identified connectivity, particularly for pedestrians, as one of its key areas for improvement. This goal touches directly on the impact and opportunities of rezoning and enhanced transit access. On the campus’s eastern edge, the train station will create a new front door. Here, the planning team recommended improving upon the original station design to create a more vibrant and memorable public space with a larger plaza to facilitate a wide array of events and community gatherings.

 

Similarly, because the rezoning creates opportunities for new mixed-use development abutting the plaza, the planning team encouraged Montefiore to work with development partners to shape key sites to complement the health system and serve the community. This strategy can also help improve connections to and facilitate a transition from the more residential neighborhood on the campus’s western edge. Again, the rezoning opens opportunities to better define the campus and strengthen its relationship to Morris Park, for instance, with potential urgent care clinics and community centers that hold office and administrative space above. Similarly, renovating and upgrading existing campus facilities in this area can make them more welcoming and engaging for the public, for example by recladding buildings with glass at pedestrian level.

 

Think quickly, but act in phases

 

Another key to this approach is that it offers ideas for implementing the three-pronged approach in strategic phases – for the immediate future, on a two– to-five-year time scale, and beyond. The idea is to identify what is most important to accomplish first, and what may take more time or can wait and to do this quickly before the master plan is complete. Strategic decision-making unfolds over time, but the baseline needs to be established right away so community engagement and other essential processes can start.

 

    • Short-term planning (first year). To begin, the study offers strategies to make better use of open space. Benches and moveable tables and chairs, for instance, give students, staff, and visitors places to linger and make the campus their own. Regular programming also activates open areas, such as with yoga or tai chi classes.

     

    A few other ideas include exploring opportunities to create a short-term plaza space by the future train station prior to permanent improvements, potentially by engaging with the New York City Department of Transportation and its Plaza Program. Another strategy is to investigate joint development opportunities for the sites closest to the transit station. Prioritizing regular community engagement and outreach meetings as campus planning evolves also is beneficial, including continued conversations with city leadership, transit agencies, and local stakeholders to explore potential value-capture strategies.

    • Mid-term (second through fifth years). At this stage, the planning team anticipates the broader Montefiore master plan will be approaching completion with substantial community engagement. A key next step would be for the institution to prepare for implementation and establish development action plans for specific campus-edge capital projects, with designated timelines. For instance, the Montefiore team could initiate partnerships with an appropriate developer to have the two campus sites located closest to the new station shovel-ready for development.

     

    The study also recommends other strategic partnerships that could play a role at this stage. Montefiore’s campus planners are encouraged to help shape the transit station’s new plaza well in advance of the 2027 opening, for example, by offering to partner with Metro-North on the station’s design, maintenance, and programming.

     

    Finally, within this timescale, the plan recommends establishing a dedicated district governing strategy to help Montefiore manage the campus public spaces in a strategic and cohesive manner. Depending on preferred practices, this management could be achieved by Montefiore’s team or via a newly established district entity, similar to a Business Improvement District.

    • Long-term (fifth year and beyond). Looking well into the future, the study and its planning team recommend this broader timeframe for large-scale capital projects such as major new hospital or research facilities. These mission-critical works demonstrate the health system’s commitment to and investment in the neighborhood, but they are of a scale (e.g., a high-acuity tower) that typically requires several years of consistent community engagement and lengthy entitlement processes.

     

    With this study offering transformative infrastructure plans and action steps for the immediate, near-term, and long-range growth of the Montefiore Einstein Morris Park campus and its soon-to-open transit station, area residents and visitors can anticipate the revitalization of the community’s anchor campus into a major regional wellness, healthcare, and employment hub with a vibrant public realm – and hopefully, the process will form a model for others to follow.

     

    Mike Aziz, AIA, LEED AP is a partner for architecture and urban design firm Cooper Robertson where he directs large, long-range, and interdisciplinary efforts for multiple developments.

     

    Bret Collazzi is a partner at the real estate advisory firm HR&A Advisors where he focuses on neighborhood and regional Investments that produce quality housing, jobs, and public assets.

     

    Both Aziz and Collazzi are members of ULI’s Technical Assistance Panel that was involved in developing ULI’s “Reimagining Montefiore Einstein-Morris Park as a Transit-Connected Campus” report. 

Analyzing the Impact of L.A. County’s Measure A: A Bold Step Towards Addressing Homelessness and Housing Affordability

Earlier this month, L.A. County voters passed Measure A, a half-cent sales tax projected to generate $1.2 billion annually for homelessness services and housing. This funding more than doubles what was provided by 2017’s Measure H, which this measure replaces, and represents a renewed commitment to address homelessness at its roots. 

 

HR&A worked closely with County agencies and stakeholders to understand the potential impacts of Measure A. By identifying these impacts, we helped The Angeleno Project amplify public awareness of the opportunity at hand and drive support for a robust, equitable response to L.A.’s housing crisis. 

 

Reflecting on this work, Partner Judith Taylor shared, “Our analysis shows that Measure A has the potential to deliver significant economic benefits for Los Angeles County, in addition to addressing our homelessness and affordable housing crises. With its focus on creating quality jobs and expanding housing affordability, Measure A stands out as a practical, high-return investment for the region’s long-term growth and stability.” 

 

Measure A presents an unprecedented opportunity for L.A. officials to implement innovative solutions, from master-leasing buildings to boosting financial support for affordable housing projects. With this reliable funding, Los Angeles has its best chance yet to make a lasting impact on homelessness and housing affordability. 

 

Read the full report here.

Related Press 

New Study: Measure A Means More Affordable Housing, and Jobs, The Angeleno Project

With Measure A, Los Angeles voters embrace a bigger response to homelessness, Cal Matters  

L.A. County voters agreed to another tax to reduce homelessness. Let’s make sure it does, LA Times  

Reimagining I-375: A Vision for a Connected and Inclusive Downtown Detroit

HR&A Advisors is proud to have support the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) in shaping an alternative vision for the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) I-375 project, which aims to transform a one-mile freeway into a pedestrian-friendly boulevard, restoring connections in the heart of Detroit.

 

The DDP’s I-375 Peer Review Report presents an opportunity to rethink nearly 30 acres of newly accessible land, proposing a more inclusive and vibrant future for Downtown Detroit. By reducing traffic lanes and prioritizing pedestrian-friendly spaces, the report envisions the potential for new city blocks, housing, cultural sites, and public spaces to support the local community.

 

We’ve been honored to collaborate with partners Urban American City and Toole Design to provide real estate and economic impact expertise that aligns with DDP’s goals of restorative investment and neighborhood revitalization. This project is a chance to reconnect neighborhoods once divided by the freeway and create opportunities for equitable growth and community-driven development.

 

Related Press

I-375 report says community still has time to make replacement project transformative, Detroit Free Press

Downtown Detroit Partnership has an alternative plan for the I-375 project, Crains Detroit

Peer analysis of planned I-375 reconstruction proposes design changes, The Detroit News

 

 

RISE AWARDS $1.2 MILLION TO RIVERINE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE CHALLENGE WINNERS

This press release was originally issued by RISE Resilience.

 

~Funding empowers five projects to implement advanced flood warning systems and innovative insurance solutions for Southwest Virginia~ 

 

Norfolk, VA – In an effort to strengthen flood resilience in Southwest Virginia, RISE, a Virginia-based nonprofit focused on climate adaptation, has awarded $1.2 million in funding to five winners of the Riverine Community Resilience Challenge. The funding, provided by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), will support projects aimed at developing advanced flood warning systems and community-driven insurance solutions to protect vulnerable communities.

 

Inspired by the massive devastation left behind by September’s Hurricane Helene, along with two catastrophic floods in Hurley and Whitewood, Virginia, in 2021 and 2022, five winners, including several multi-team integrated solutions, were selected to receive up to $375,000 to pilot their cutting-edge ideas through 2025. Beyond financial support, RISE is providing Challenge winners technical, government and business mentoring, investor matchmaking, customized accelerator programs and more. The winners will discuss details about their solutions during a panel session at the 2024 Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference on  Thursday, Nov. 14 in Virginia Beach.

 

“Hurricane Helene is a powerful and vivid reminder that our riverine communities in Southwest Virginia are increasingly vulnerable to catastrophic flood events that can change lives in an instant,” said RISE Executive Director Paul Robinson, Ph.D. “As these threats become more severe and frequent, we know the development of new advanced warning systems and community-based insurance programs can make a difference here in Southwest Virginia and, ultimately, vulnerable communities worldwide.”

 

“All of our Challenge winners have the unique opportunity to pilot their solutions in Southwest Virginia,” said Chief Strategy and Communications Officer Betsy Hnath. “As they test and refine their innovations in real-world environments, the community gets to contribute to the development and benefit from these cutting-edge advancements.”

 

2024 RISE Riverine Community Resilience Challenge winners include:

Floodbase Raincoat

Leverages Floodbase’s deep learning framework and Raincoat’s parametric insurance solution to develop a community-based insurance program. This program sets measurable, data-driven thresholds to trigger immediate riverine flood payouts, providing crucial financial support to vulnerable households and businesses in Southwest Virginia.

FloodMappThe Warn RoomGreen Stream

Offers a comprehensive, localized flood warning system that integrates real-time flood mapping technology, hydrologic gauging from Green Stream, and expert emergency advice from The Warn Room. Their solution delivers accurate and timely flood warnings to communities in Southwest Virginia.

InnSureHR&A AdvisorsStantec

Creates a Total Cost of Risk (TCOR) Simulator for riverine flooding-related risks. This minimum viable product is designed to model and mitigate flood risks, enhancing preparedness and resilience for a pilot community in Southwest Virginia.

Merak LabsPRAM

Enhances flood monitoring and early warning systems with resilience and impact analytics, providing actionable information to manage flood risks effectively to empower communities and responders.

Ric Platform Services

Provides a transformative approach to flood insurance, emphasizing affordability, rapid response, and community resilience.

New Report Quantifies Cornell Tech’s Role in Attracting Talent to New York City and Growing the City’s Tech Sector

This press release was originally issued by Cornell Tech. 

 

Since its founding in 2012, Cornell Tech has played a crucial role in developing New York City’s tech talent, entrepreneurship, job creation, and fiscal prosperity. From launching more than 100 startups and educating thousands of new tech leaders to operating an 850,000-square-foot campus while planning future expansion, the energy coming out of the regional tech hub is undeniable. But what is its overall economic impact? A new analysis from economic development firm HR&A puts it into numbers – and they are massive.

 

In fiscal year 2022-2023, Cornell Tech, its alumni, and its startups based in New York City achieved $768 million in total economic impact and supported 2,800 jobs. And by 2030, Cornell Tech’s alumni and startups based in New York City are projected to generate $1.5 billion in annual economic impact while supporting 7,000 jobs, living up to its reputation as the single most effective economic development project undertaken by city government in recent decades.

 

“New York City has been a consistent draw for ambitious and intelligent people from around the world. Cornell Tech has created a novel academic and entrepreneurial environment that brings new tech talent to the city who go on to become industry leaders and builders who are driving our city’s workforce and technology industry,” said Greg Morrisett, the Jack and Rilla Neafsey Dean and Vice Provost of Cornell Tech. “This report not only highlights the significant contributions that Cornell Tech has made to our local economy, but also emphasizes how our growing alumni network will lead innovation in emerging technology and artificial intelligence for years to come.”

 

HR&A’s analysis quantified the projected spending and economic impact generated by Cornell Tech, its alumni, and the startups they create, finding that “the campus operates educational and entrepreneurial programs that attract world-class talent who remain in New York City after graduation to work in high-paying industries while creating thousands of new jobs for tech workers that contribute to the city’s tech ecosystem.”

 

Cornell Tech’s startup programs have launched more than 115 companies. These startups have generated a collective valuation of more than $700 million while creating more than 500 new jobs in New York City, boosting the local economy and tech community. Some of the most notable startups include baby sleep monitor Nanit, real estate construction intelligence platform OnsiteIQ, and infectious disease diagnostic Biota. As of 2023, companies founded at Cornell Tech in the health sector generated $97 million for the city, making up almost 50% of the total economic output from Cornell Tech’s startups and helping New York City to surpass Silicon Valley as the leader in digital health startups. The share of Cornell Tech companies founded by women (32%) and the share of funds raised that go to women-founded companies (23.5%) outperforms national and city averages.

 

In addition to spending activity, the report outlines the revenue and construction jobs generated by the creation of the campus itself, with Cornell Tech’s construction to date and upcoming construction expected to generate $1.1 billion in labor income and $2.4 billion in economic output by 2030.

 

Cornell Tech was founded in 2012 when Cornell University and the Technion­–Israel Institute of Technology were selected by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to establish a campus after competing in the Applied Sciences NYC Competition, which sought to increase New York City’s capacity for applied sciences and dramatically transform the city’s economy.

 

Collaborating closely with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) since its founding, Cornell Tech was first located in Google’s New York City offices on Eighth Avenue before moving to its state-of-the-art Roosevelt Island campus in 2017 and has retained its longstanding productive partnerships with both the city and NYCEDC in the years since.

 

“Cornell Tech has been a transformative force in growing New York City’s economy by integrating academia with industry and attracting international talent while fostering groundbreaking innovation, generating thousands of high-quality jobs, and contributing millions in economic output,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “NYCEDC and the City of New York recognized early on that the creation of a world-class academic institution would be a cornerstone investment in our city’s future and would further catalyze the growth of the tech ecosystem. We look forward to building on this successful partnership to continue to drive long-term economic benefits and job creation through our shared goals and initiatives.”

 

The innovation ecosystem created by Cornell Tech has had the effect of not only drawing future tech leaders to New York City but also keeping them here. Carmem Leticia da Maia Silva, who came from Brazil to earn a master’s degree in Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship at Cornell Tech, is just one of those success stories. Now, she negotiates major IT agreements, provides critical legal guidance, and ensures proper alignment with global corporate policies at McKinsey & Company – one of the world’s most esteemed and influential management consulting firms.

 

“I’ve always been interested in the interplay between law and tech, how statutes and regulations anticipate and respond to innovation. What drew me to Cornell Tech was the opportunity to closely collaborate with executives and decision makers from major companies,” said da Maia Silva. “At Cornell Tech, I was able to work side-by-side with entrepreneurs driving the tech industry forward and apply those learnings to my study of real-world legal issues.”

 

Da Maia Silva’s New York City success story is one of many connected to Cornell Tech. Her peers include Aish Ravindran, who came to New York City for the Johnson Cornell Tech MBA program from Los Angeles and became a product manager for New York-based Uber Health following graduation. Anirban Poddar, who came to Cornell Tech from India for a master’s in engineering, now works as a product manager at Amazon. Another is Arvin Khodayari, who brought his passion for judicial studies from Canada to pursue his master’s of law from Cornell Tech and now works in New York City as an associate at Ropes & Gray LLP. In all, 75% of the Cornell Tech students who move to New York City from elsewhere stay in the region. These alumni alone generated $390 million in annual economic output in fiscal year 2022-2023, which is projected to grow to $956 million by 2030.

 

“As a graduate student, it quickly became clear that staying in New York City after graduation was a must,” says da Maia Silva. “The tech and legal networks here are unrivaled when it comes to having an impact on a global scale – and Cornell Tech is at the center of it.”

 

The full report can be accessed here: https://tech.cornell.edu/impact/cornell-tech-impact-study/.

 

Youth Launch Bold Strategy to End NYC’s Foster Care to Homelessness Pipeline

This press release was originally issued by Fair Futures’ Youth Advisory Board on PR Newswire. 

 

The Fair Futures’ Youth Advisory Board (YAB) – comprised of 19 young adults impacted by the child welfare system – is engaged in an ambitious effort to ensure all youth exiting foster care in New York City have access to safe, high-quality, and integrated housing located in desirable communities.

 

Roughly 500 young adults exit foster care every year in New York City, on their own, not having been adopted or reunified with their birth families. Thrust into one of the most competitive housing markets in the world, studies have found that one fifth of the City’s foster youth experience homelessness within six years of leaving care.

 

With many of the YAB’s members struggling to find high quality housing themselves, the group decided to make the issue a top policy priority in 2024.

 

“Last year, our advocacy won more than $30 million in the City’s annual budget so that all foster youth have Coaches to help them thrive,” said YAB Director Anthony Turner. “This year we are focused on building on our success, and ensuring foster youth have access to the housing they deserve.”

 

This summer, the YAB, its parent organization The Center for Fair Futures, The Children’s Village, Good River Partners, and HR&A Advisors launched a research process aimed at delivering solutions on how to finance foster youth housing at scale.

 

HR&A Advisors, one of the nation’s preeminent real estate development and public policy consulting firms, is conducting an analysis focused on how to blend public and private capital and existing rental and service subsidies to provide youth with quality housing. Ten youth leaders engaged in a housing design fellowship to guide housing recommendations that they want to see. The final report will be released in early 2025 with the dual goals of driving policy change and serving as a blueprint for impact investing opportunities to develop foster youth housing. The effort is being supported by The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and an anonymous funder.

 

The Children’s Village, a key partner, has pioneered mixed income housing development for NYC’s youth and families. Earlier this year, the nonprofit opened the doors of the Eliza, a 14-story, deeply affordable housing development in the desirable, racially integrated community of InwoodManhattan.

 

“Where you live and where your children go to school is the most dependable predictor of second-generation success in the United States,” said The Children’s Village’s President and CEO Jeremy Kohomban. “NYC’s children separated from family and now exiting foster care alone as young adults deserve to live in a location where I would live, nothing less.”

 

Good River Partners, a public benefit firm, is leading a national effort to scale housing for transition-aged foster youth.

Setting a National Example in Community-Driven Governance: The Innamorato Administration’s All in Allegheny Action Plan

It’s uncommon for local governments to act quickly and decisively to meet community needs, but Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato is making significant progress since taking office earlier this year. In the first three months of her administration, she engaged 19,000 residents to understand their priorities. Just six months later, the administration has delivered on 91% of the community’s action items, addressing issues such as housing affordability, expanding voting access, and enhancing health-focused crisis response.

 

The Innamorato Administration is setting a national example of what it means to govern in partnership with community. The All in Allegheny Action Plan is the culmination of the largest, most diverse, and inclusive community engagement process in Allegheny County history. In the first two months of Allegheny County Executive Innamorato’s administration, nearly 19,000 residents from every corner of the county engaged with the All In Allegheny Community Survey and over 650 residents joined County Conversations.

 

HR&A is proud to have provided intensive daily project management and strategic guidance to her transition, supported the All In Allegheny community engagement process, and helped create the All In Allegheny Action Plan to guide her Administration. Our work was focused on understanding and delivering on community needs; building a strong and talented team that will help implement bold changes; and understanding the full scope of an office’s budgetary, appointment, and regulatory powers to forge real and meaningful change for communities.

 

We look forward to the Innamorato Administration’s continued work delivering on the action items outlined in the All In Allegheny Action Plan and congratulate them on this significant progress in their first year!

 

Learn more about the All In Allegheny Action Plan and progress on its action items here.

Learn more about HR&A’s work with the Innamorato Administration here.

New Playbook Recommends Suite of Policies to Ensure Artists Can Thrive in New York

This press release was originally issued by Creatives Rebuild New York. 

 

October 17, 2024 – New York, NY — Today, Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY), an organization dedicated to improving the lives and livelihoods of artists, released a detailed plan outlining steps New York State and local governments can take to implement policies geared toward supporting artists and creative workers in New York. New York’s cultural sector accounts for nearly $144 billion in economic activity and is powered by 450,000 jobs.

 

New York Isn’t New York Without Artists is a policy playbook commissioned by CRNY and authored by HR&A Advisors following a year-long process of engaging policymakers, artists, and organizers across New York State. It is intended to be a long-term, step-by-step program for lawmakers at all levels of government to reference as they enact policies that empower artists, a labor force integral to the state’s economy but one that is often on the edge of hardship and economic uncertainty. Artists and creative workers require additional resources and labor protections to continue working and serving communities statewide, and improved policy can help to improve conditions for all workers in the state.

 

“The Playbook builds on our two funding programs – 18 months of guaranteed income and 2 years of employment and benefits for 2700 artists across the state – and kickstarts a larger movement that supports the contributions and dignity of artists for years to come,” said Sarah Calderón, Executive Director of CRNY.  “Artists make New York. We urge policymakers to make New York work for artists by moving these policy recommendations forward.”

 

 

“This Playbook is a timely and actionable guide for policymakers and elected officials to create a more equitable and sustainable creative economy in New York State,” said José Serrano-McClain, Partner at HR&A Advisors. “Our recommendations span a range of policy areas—including housing and financial security, labor protections and job quality, workforce development, economic development, and arts and culture policies. Now is the time to think expansively about how city and state lawmakers can come together to support New York’s creative workforce.”

 

Some of the Playbook’s main recommendations for New York State include: 

    • Develop a statewide creative economy strategic plan. A starting point for enacting any of the policies in the Playbook, a strategic plan for New York’s creative economy would further articulate the goals, lines of accountability, funding sources, and tactics specific to all economic regions of the state.
    • Establish a grant program to fund portable benefits and financial security tools for creative workers. Because many creative workers are freelancers, they don’t enjoy a wide range of important job benefits, like health insurance, unemployment insurance, paid sick and family leave, and retirement savings opportunities. Portable benefits platforms would ensure that artists and other non-traditional workers have access to the same basic benefits other workers do.
    • Increase public funding for economic development projects that integrate arts and culture. Only a small fraction of economic development dollars are invested in local creative economies despite their enormous economic impact in the form of tourism, retail, and higher property values. By increasing the share that goes toward creative projects, New York stands to experience even greater windfalls while cementing its cultural vibrancy.
    • Create a statewide guaranteed income program. Guaranteed income provides immediate relief, freedom, and autonomy to families experiencing poverty while avoiding costly and complex bureaucracy that inevitably prevents some people from accessing safety net benefits. This can benefit low-income creative workers and other low-income workers.
    • Create artist employment programs to address environmental, health, and safety needs in communities. Drawing inspiration from previous federal programs like the Works Progress Administration (1935) and the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (1973), artist employment programs provide artists with the opportunity to use their creative skills to serve their communities. 
    • Legislate prevailing wage standards for artists working on publicly funded arts and culture projects. Wage requirements are set for a host of industries that receive government contracts, but not for the arts and cultural sector. A prevailing wage standard would ensure artists are compensated fairly for their work, strengthening the creative workforce and overall labor movement in New York.

 

Photo: Creatives Rebuild New York

Innovative Leadership in Housing Affordability: Insights from HR&A Advisors’ Directors

At HR&A Advisors, addressing the complex challenges of housing affordability requires innovative approaches and dedicated leadership. Directors Ada Peng and Peter Brewton shared insights from working in housing affordability, emphasizing how leadership means navigating complexities, fostering teamwork, and creating lasting impact. If you’re passionate about making a difference tackling the housing crisis and are interested in a leadership role in our housing practice, we’re hiring!

 

What are some of the biggest challenges and rewards you encounter when tackling complex housing issues?

 

Ada: Housing projects often involve a wide array of stakeholders across different levels. As consultants, we strive to help our clients achieve specific housing outcomes like reducing housing burdens for renters or homeowners. However, moving from conceptual program design to real-world implementation requires a deep understanding of local contexts and figuring out where processes get stuck on the ground. At the same time, navigating the complexity successfully is also one of the most rewarding aspects of the work.

 

It’s incredibly fulfilling to connect with people directly involved in implementing policies and programs and support them to make the greatest impact. Housing isn’t just about numbers — it’s about how those numbers translate into real change in people’s lives. That transition, from measuring outcomes to understanding their impact on daily life, is what drives me.

 

 

Peter: I completely agree. Housing and affordable housing, in particular, can sometimes feel overwhelming. The U.S. faces a shortage of millions of homes, and housing has become less affordable in almost every region where I’ve worked over the last decade. Even with massive projects like the $3.6 billion Amazon Housing Equity Fund, which HR&A helped design and execute and aims to create or preserve over 35,000 affordable homes, there is so much more work to do.

 

With that in mind, it’s essential to celebrate wins. Every time we launch a fund or close a deal, it’s a victory that took the efforts of many stakeholders. Those moments — whether it’s a ribbon cutting or a fund announcement — are always worth celebrating alongside incredible colleagues who pour their passion into making these projects a reality.

 

What innovative approaches are you exploring to address affordable housing challenges?

 

Ada: One approach we’ve been focusing on is naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) preservation strategies, especially in urban areas. We’re also exploring master leasing strategies to incentivize private landlords to accept housing vouchers, which can help maximize housing stock in a resource-constrained environment. Additionally, we’re working on innovative funding models that go beyond the traditional low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) to meet growing demand.

 

Peter: Another area where we’re innovating is in building the capacity of public agencies to take a more active role in addressing affordable housing needs. We’re working with one housing authority in a major city to evaluate how they can increase the number of projects they own and manage. This aligns with our work across the country, where public agencies are seeking to have a larger role in housing development. Innovative housing projects require a mix of public policy expertise, understanding of deal economics, and risk management, which is where the diverse knowledge of HR&A’s housing practice is a real differentiator.

 

 

How has your leadership style fostered team growth and professional development in your teams?

 

Ada: For me, leadership is about mentorship and understanding the individual needs of team members. Everyone brings different levels of experience and perspectives to a project.  I believe the best results come from nurturing individual growth while keeping a clear focus on delivering excellent results for our clients.

 

HR&A fosters a collaborative environment where you can grow your skills across different areas—whether it’s policy design, financial analysis, or stakeholder engagement. There’s always something new to learn, and the company encourages Directors to not only lead but also continuously build their expertise.

 

Peter: Affordable housing involves unique financing structures and concepts and helping junior staff, many of whom are new to affordable housing, navigate this world is really rewarding. I take a coaching approach, similar to how I coach my son’s soccer team. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing our team execute what we’ve been trying to teach in a game. The same feeling applies when you notice an analyst have that “light bulb” moment when they grasp a concept or strategy. I learned by sitting side by side with mentors who taught me to always ask “why” and to approach every housing project with a deep understanding — not just plug-and-play knowledge. I try to pay that forward.

 

At HR&A, new Directors are given significant responsibility from the start. Directors are expected to bring skills and experience to the table, but also to drive their own learning. The projects we work on have real, tangible impact, and that’s the most exciting part — your decisions matter. For me, the opportunity to take on more responsibility and approach projects with an entrepreneurial mindset has been the biggest driver of my professional development.

 

 

Can you share a specific project that successfully improved housing affordability for a community?

 

Peter: One project that stands out is Wake County’s affordable housing development program, which I was involved with early in my HR&A career. Back in 2016, HR&A conducted a housing needs assessment for Wake County and developed its strategic housing plan, which identified the need for such a program to stimulate low-income housing tax credit production. The program made a significant impact, quadrupling the annual production of 4% low-income housing tax credit units in the county. It’s a prime example of how thoughtful planning and implementation can truly transform a community.

 

By 2022, when I joined HR&A, the county asked us to help administer that year’s round of projects. This was my introduction to HR&A’s full-spectrum housing practice, from theoretical planning to bringing deals to the Board of Commissioners for funding approval. The program has had significant impact, quadrupling the annual production of 4% low-income housing tax credit units in the county — just as we had projected. It’s a great example of how thoughtful planning and implementation can make a real difference in a community.

 

Ada: A great example is the California Dream for All program, which supports first-time homebuyers through a shared appreciation down payment assistance model. The State Treasurer’s office launched this statewide program in 2022, which was a first-of-its-kind for California, where housing needs and affordability vary drastically by region. The challenge was to design a program that could cater to local variances, while maximizing benefits for end users.

 

 

What was particularly rewarding was how quickly the program moved from concept to implementation. The state initially allocated $300 million, which helped over 2,000 first-time homebuyers, followed by another $220 million, reaching 1,700 first-generation homebuyers. Seeing that process unfold — from designing the program, talking with stakeholders, and learning from national best practices to project implementation and expanding first-generation homeownership — has been incredibly fulfilling.

¡En Conversación! Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Engaging Community and Leveraging International Perspectives

As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re highlighting the experiences and perspectives of Hispanic and Latine/o HR&Aers. We sat down with Andrea Batista Schlesinger, Juan Sebastián Herrera, & Alejandra Cabrales, to learn about how their personal experiences have influenced their professional work as well as what they’ve learned from working with Latine/o communities.

 

How has your background influenced your approach to your work, and how does your identity connect to what you’re doing day-to-day?

 

Alejandra: I was born in Mexico and moved to LA when I was seven. Growing up in a predominantly migrant community, I started thinking about the built environment and how it impacts families like mine. We were a transit-dependent family in LA, which had notoriously poor public transportation at the time.

 

I remember wondering, Who’s on the bus? Why are they on the bus? It was clear to me that access to transportation shaped the opportunities we had. Over time, I saw LA’s public transportation system develop and improve, and I personally felt the impact. I could access internships and music programs across the city because of these changes.

 

 

That experience made me realize I wanted to pursue a career that had a community impact. I constantly thought, Why aren’t people like my family ever brought to the table? Communities like ours are often the ones most affected by these decisions, yet we’re left out of the conversation. This is why I came to HR&A. Whether it’s community engagement or policy work, I try to elevate community perspectives. My focus is always on who’s often left out and how we can bridge that gap.

 

Juan: Coming from Latin America, I’ve noticed some stark contrasts between governance structures here in the U.S. and back home. In Latin America, governments often play a more visible role in providing public goods and services. But in the U.S., there’s a heavier reliance on the private sector to fill the gaps.

 

This dynamic has been eye-opening for me. I’ve become particularly interested in how public and private sectors collaborate — or fail to collaborate — and the impact that has on communities. At HR&A, this sensibility informs my approach to projects, particularly when they intersect with social equity and public policy.

 

I work a lot in on our public options projects. It’s through that lens that I analyze governance structures and the role they play in shaping our cities. My experience growing up in Latin America helps me bring a unique perspective to these projects, especially when it comes to equity and public policy.

 

Andrea: I want to emphasize how invaluable Juan’s perspective is. In urban policy, we often look at case studies or best practices, and we assume that all the answers are here in the U.S. The truth is, a lot of innovation — particularly in how local governments engage with communities — can come from other countries.

 

 

I come from a mixed background myself. My father was Jewish and grew up in the projects of Coney Island, and my mother grew up one of eight siblings in the Dominican Republic. I’ve seen how both of their upbringings shaped and informed their paths in life. My background has given me a sensitivity to what people say when they think no one is listening — particularly about how power considers marginalized communities.  My identity plays a significant role in my work because I am driven to support visionary Latinx leaders. I entered this field 24 years ago, motivated by the goal of helping elect the first Puerto Rican Mayor of New York City. Though that candidate lost, and New York has yet to see a Latinx Mayor, progress is being made elsewhere — we’ve had a Latinx Mayor in Los Angeles.

 

It brings me deep personal fulfillment to support leaders like Lina Hidalgo in Harris County, the first Puerto Rican Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Chicago, and various mayors on the island. I understand how challenging it is to gain and retain power in these spaces, which makes these opportunities all the more meaningful.”

 

What can we learn from working with Latine/o and other marginalized communities in U.S. cities to help create inclusive and equitable futures for all?

 

Alejandra: I think there are interesting opportunities to learn from and collaborate with other marginalized communities. For example, I’ve noticed a significant amount of Credit Unions in LA’s Chinatown where I grew up. I would love to see the Latinx community learn from that model to fill in some of the significant banking gaps we experience. There’s a real need for us to empower each other and move forward collectively.

 

Andrea: One thing that stands out to me is how professionals in our field need to see identity not as a deficit, but as a strength. When I first joined HR&A, I remember working on a project for a city where the number of Spanish speakers was listed as a “challenge.” My first question was, Why is that a challenge and not an opportunity?

 

 

Many of the lessons we’re incorporating into our work today originate from Latinx social justice, labor, and movement organizing. These experiences emphasize starting with culture and celebration, engaging communities through shared experiences like food, music, and family. These are the approaches we’re now striving to embrace and integrate into our efforts.

 

Alejandra: I totally agree with Andrea. A lot of the sustainability practices I see today are things I grew up with — we just didn’t have the language for them. Living as sustainably as possible was something we always practiced in my family, and I think that’s true for many Latinx communities — there’s a deep-rooted sense of resourcefulness. Bringing that perspective into the climate space, where sustainability often feels dominated by other voices, is something I think is important. We belong in these conversations, and we have a lot to contribute.

 

Could you tell us a little bit about HR&A’s work in Puerto Rico?

 

Juan: HR&A’s story in Puerto Rico began in 2018 when we were commissioned by the Open Society Foundation to assess the feasibility of La Liga. At the time, it was an initiative aimed at helping municipalities recover after the devastating 2017 hurricane season, specifically Hurricane Maria.

 

Our work involved understanding the recovery needs of Puerto Rican cities, many of which had been hit hard not just by the hurricane, but also by years of financial instability. We designed a capacity-building program that connected Puerto Rican mayors with their counterparts in mainland U.S. cities, creating a corridor for sharing disaster recovery best practices.

 

Over time, our relationship with La Liga deepened, and by 2023, we were involved in another project, La Constructora, which focused on improving governance and decision-making at the municipal level in Puerto Rico. With the unprecedented influx of federal funding under the Biden administration, we saw a unique opportunity to transform how local municipalities on the island manage public resources and plan for the future. Our role was to help translate this opportunity into real change by supporting municipalities in navigating federal funding and building stronger governance structures.

 

What lessons-learned from our work in Puerto Rico can we apply to the broader challenges local governments face, both in the U.S. and internationally?

 

Juan: Our work in Puerto Rico offers lessons in how public services can be structured and delivered. We’ve been looking at the role of local governance on the island and how it shapes public services. It’s a chance to apply international insights to a U.S. context and improve systems for communities that are often overlooked.

 

Andrea: I completely agree with Juan. So much of what we’re doing in public banking and other areas is based on lessons learned from international case studies. And, like Juan said earlier, we have a lot to learn from countries outside the U.S. about how to engage communities and provide public goods. It’s not just about replicating models here — it’s about rethinking the role of local government, learning from other places, and using those insights to elevate our work.

 

 

Juan:  The challenges Puerto Rican municipalities face are not unique to the island. Many communities in the continental U.S., particularly rural areas, face similar issues: underfunded public services, lack of technical capacity, and a need for resilient infrastructure. We have learned that investing in capacity building at the local municipal level can bring about significant change, particularly when governments have suffered from years of underinvestment. By providing local governments with the necessary tools to secure funding and manage resources more effectively, we enable them to become catalysts for their own future.