On Thursday, March 14th, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced 5 winners of the inaugural “Take the H.E.L.M.” competition – an innovative contest administered by HR&A on behalf of the NYCEDC. Take the H.E.L.M. celebrates catalytic companies choosing to move to or expand in Lower Manhattan. Winners were selected from 20 finalists in 5 categories: companies new to New York City, startups, tech firms, creative companies, and businesses seeking to expand their Lower Manhattan office presence.

Take the H.E.L.M. – Hire + Expand in Lower Manhattan – aims to expand the innovation economy by attracting the best and the brightest to Lower Manhattan, rebranding the district, and diversifying its employment base to complement the financial sector. More than 300 companies from around the world applied in this inaugural year for a chance to win $10,000 as a competition finalist and $250,000 as a competition winner, funded by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. The Finalists were evaluated by an esteemed Selection Committee, chaired by former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Arthur Levitt. The five Winners for 2013 were: STELLAService, Grapeshot, Paperless Post, The Flatiron School, and Booker.

As competition administrator, HR&A designed the competition with NYCEDC and managed design and implementation of the competition’s application process and website, as well as selection committee formation and the evaluation process. Building on the competition’s success, NYCEDC will launch a second year of the competition in the spring of 2013.

Read more in Forbes, Crain’s New York Business, The Real Deal, and the New York Daily News.

On February 28, HR&A Chairman John Alschuler led a lunch discussion on the “Economic Impact of the High Line” at the TED2013 Conference in Long Beach, California. The annual TED conference brings together thought-leaders from around the world to share innovative ideas on topics of science, philosophy, music, religion, philanthropy, and others.

John spoke to an intimate group of designers, philanthropists, and other individuals committed to the future of urban cities. The group explored the mission of the High Line and its role as a catalyst in transforming a former industrial neighborhood into a vibrant new economic district for New York City.

The lunch was organized by TED2013 corporate partner, The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, to celebrate The City 2.0, winner of the 2012 TED Prize. The TED Prize is awarded annually to an individual or idea with “a creative and bold vision to spark global change.” The City 2.0 is a vision for the future that promotes innovation, environmental sustainability, economic opportunity, and recognizes the vital role urban green space plays in the development of world-class cities.

On February 5, 2013, the City Council of Los Angeles voted unanimously in support of a new framework for the City’s economic development structure prepared by HR&A. HR&A was engaged in late 2012 by the City Administrative Officer and Chief Legislative Analyst of the City of Los Angeles to analyze and recommend a new approach to citywide economic development following the State-mandated elimination of Community Redevelopment Agencies throughout California, including the Los Angeles CRA, and the lingering effects of the Great Recession. HR&A led a team that included ICF International and Renata Simril.

HR&A’s report recommends a new public-private structure for delivering economic development services in Los Angeles, including strategic planning for growth, real estate-related services, and business and industry-related services. The new model would include:

1. A new Economic Development Department (EDD) to consolidate certain economic development functions from existing City entities;
2. A new, nimble, independent, transaction-oriented Citywide Economic Development Nonprofit (CEDN) partner, with majority private-sector governance, operating under a contract with the City; and
3. An empowered Deputy Mayor for Economic Development charged with ensuring coordination among the EDD, CEDN, other related City departments, City proprietary agencies, and external economic development stakeholders.

Once operational, this proposed structure would provide the organizational platform required for the City to create new jobs, attract new business and industries, remain competitive on the global stage in the 21st Century, and increase General Fund revenues.

The recommendations presented in the report are based on the HR&A project team’s analysis of interviews with more than 80 key stakeholders involved in economic development throughout Los Angeles, including General Managers of City departments, business leaders, nonprofits, developers, and community-based organizations; an online survey sent to an additional 130 local stakeholders; detailed analysis of department and agency budget documents, supplemented by additional interviews with department and agency management; review of ongoing work by local universities and non-profits; and detailed case studies of eight U.S. cities with high-performing economic development organizational structures.

Available for download are the HR&A report.

HR&A President Eric Rothman has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Design Trust for Public Space. The Design Trust is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving New York City’s public realm since 1995.

Eric started working with the Design Trust in 2006 when he was awarded a Design Trust Fellowship for Taxi 07, a multi-phase program celebrating the taxi’s centennial, which facilitated innovative new taxi designs and, in partnership with the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission, developed a roadmap for improving the taxi system over a 10- year period.

In 2010, Eric served on the Steering Committee for the Design Trust’s Made in Midtown project on behalf of the Design Trust and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Subsequently in 2011, HR&A conducted a real estate and economic analysis of the Garment District in support of the Making Midtown effort. Making Midtown provides a strategy and vision for strengthening the Garment District as a vital hub for creative production.

The Design Trust is committed to improving the design, utility, and understanding of New York City’s parks, plazas, streets, buildings, transportation systems and neighborhoods. It convenes neighborhoods, public agencies, and design professionals to find innovative opportunities for change, making the city more beautiful, sustainable, functional, and available to all.

HR&A Advisors, Inc. was engaged in late 2012 by the City Administrative Officer and Chief Legislative Analyst of the City of Los Angeles to analyze and recommend a new approach to citywide economic development following the State-mandated elimination of the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles throughout California and the lingering effects of the Great Recession. HR&A led a team that included ICF International and Renata Simril, and presented its recommendations to the City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Economic Development Structure in December 2012.

The report recommends a new public-private structure for delivering economic development services in Los Angeles, including strategic planning for growth, real estate-related services, and business and industry-related services. The new model would include a new Economic Development Department (EDD) to consolidate certain economic development functions from existing City entities, and a new, nimble, independent Citywide Economic Development Nonprofit partner operating under a contract with the EDD. Once operational, this proposed structure would provide the organizational platform required for the City to create new jobs, attract new business and industries, remain competitive on the global stage in the 21st Century, and increase General Fund revenues.

The recommendations presented in the report are based on the HR&A project team’s analysis of interviews with more than 80 key stakeholders involved in economic development throughout Los Angeles, General Managers of City departments, business leaders, nonprofits, developers, and community-based organizations; an online survey sent to an additional 130 local stakeholders; detailed analysis of department and agency budget documents, supplemented by additional interviews with department and agency management; review of ongoing work by local universities and non-profits; and detailed case studies of eight U.S. cities with high-performing economic development organizational structures.

Read our report here.

HR&A is leading real estate and economic analysis as part of a team led by WXY Architecture + Urban Design to create a strategic plan for the Brooklyn Tech Triangle. The Tech Triangle encompasses DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which have collectively attracted the interest of innovative tenants in the last several years, particularly in DUMBO. The plan will recommend changes in real estate policies, workforce development, transportation, open space and streetscape, and economic development infrastructure to foster the growth of the technology and creative economy in the area.

The WXY team was selected out of 17 proposals, comprising more than 60 firms. In addition to HR&A, the team includes Sam Schwartz Engineering, Control Group, the Center for an Urban Future, Workforce Strategy Center and Workshop: Ken Smith Landscape Architect.

The Brooklyn Tech Triangle initiative is featured in several prominent press outlets including Crain’s.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) recently released HR&A’s study of the economic and fiscal impact of changes to the New York State Film Production Credit. HR&A’s analysis shows that in 2011 alone, the expanded credit program supported 28,900 jobs across all industries in New York State, and generated $6.9 billion in spending and $4.2 billion in personal income in the State. New York State and New York City also collected an estimated $748 million in combined tax revenue as a result of this new economic activity.

HR&A found that in New York State, the total number of jobs in the industry increased by nearly 25% between 2008 and 2011, rising from 36,900 jobs in 2008 to 46,100 jobs in 2011, even though private sector employment as a whole declined by 1.6% during this period. Since its initial adoption in 2004, the tax credit has supported over 700 film and television productions across New York State.

HR&A’s findings were reported in several media outlets including the LA Times, the Chicago Tribune and Variety. It can be downloaded here.

On November 26, the City Council of Richmond, VA approved an ambitious Riverfront Master Plan for 2.25 miles and 830 acres of the city’s downtown Riverfront. Working with Hargreaves Associates, who led the planning process, HR&A developed a funding and implementation strategy for the plan. This included an analysis of potential public and private sources of capital and operations funding, implementation mechanisms and long-term governance structures, and the potential for the enhanced Riverfront to become a significant source of economic growth for Richmond.

An extension of the city’s 2009 Downtown Plan, the Riverfront Plan is a comprehensive vision for the future of Richmond on both the north and south banks of the James River, one of the city’s most valuable assets. The Plan offers opportunities for strengthened connections, new open spaces, a variety of landscape experiences, and a wealth of programming. It also highlights private development sites which can provide value for future stewardship of the Riverfront. The plan is expected to have a significant positive impact on adjacent neighborhoods and create a valuable amenity for Richmond residents and visitors.

The full master plan is available here.

HR&A recently completed a study of the economic impacts of Airbnb, an online marketplace for short-term rentals, on the City of San Francisco. Airbnb is a leader in the “sharing economy,” a new trend in the sharing of underutilized resources facilitated by network technologies and social tools. HR&A’s study is one of the most in-depth analyses to date of the economic impacts of the sharing economy. The report reveals multiple ways in which the new economic activities associated with Airbnb have significant impacts on San Francisco and its neighborhoods, businesses, and residents:

• Airbnb benefits its many hosts, who use Airbnb to supplement their income.
• Airbnb impacts neighborhoods that are off the main hotel beat, distributing visitor spending across many neighborhoods and businesses throughout the city.
• Airbnb benefits the City as a whole, generating $56 million in direct and indirect spending in the past year.
• Much of this economic activity is new. Even as San Francisco hotel occupancy has climbed, the number of Airbnb reservations has grown dramatically, indicating that many Airbnb users are a different visitor segment than hotel guests.

The report has been covered by Forbes, TechCrunch, Marketwire, The Huffington Post, and Shareable, among other news sources.