Mid-Atlantic

In 1976, many Americans had given up on cities. HR&A was founded that year as a small California firm analyzing public budgets and grounded in the belief that cities were worth investing in. In the decades since, cities have proved the skeptics wrong, and they have kept us busier than ever. For 50 years, HR&A […]

Flip a switch in New York, and the light comes on. Almost no one thinks twice about it. But that reliability powers an economy. HR&A is proud to have partnered with Con Edison on its 2025 Economic Impact Report: → $24.8 billion in economic output, about 1% of New York State’s GDP → 39,700 jobs […]

The private sector now owns more than 80% of AI supercomputer performance, while the public sector’s share has dropped from about 60% in 2019 to less than 20%. On the current trajectory, local government’s only relationship with AI compute may soon be to receive an invoice from a handful of consolidated owners. Principal Preston Rhea […]

Adaptation is not only a climate question. It requires finance, design, engineering, and policy to come together around infrastructure investment, land use, housing, and economic development. That is why our climate practice is built as a cross-disciplinary group rather than a specialty bench. Similarly, our decarbonization work charting effective pathways to reducing emissions also requires cross-sector expertise.

For 20 years, the American housing debate was an argument over permission – who gets to build what, and where. That argument isn't over. But it is no longer who or what decides whether homes get built. Now, cost drives the conversation.

We’re proud to share that Principal Imran Aukhil has been appointed Director of Graduate Programs for the new Pappas Real Estate Development Program at North Carolina State University. In this role, Imran will lead NC State’s master’s degree in real estate development, helping to shape the next generation of practitioners in one of the most […]

Affordable housing doesn’t always need a subsidy — sometimes it just needs an owner willing to lower the rent. The New York Times recently profiled Ascent Housing, a for-profit fund preserving affordable apartments in Charlotte and Charleston, two of the fastest-growing rental markets in the country. Instead of raising rents after a purchase, Ascent lowers […]

When the private market fails to deliver fresh, affordable food to the communities that need it most, local government has to step in. That was the shared conviction behind a recent conversation hosted by HR&A Advisors, the Mayors Innovation Project, Mayors for America, and Local Progress Impact Lab.

HR&A’s Summer Internship is a 10-week program that welcomes young professionals committed to tackling the complex challenges facing cities. Interns are active members of our project teams, contributing to a range of critical workstreams for our clients, including market analysis, case study research, economic modeling, and real estate pro forma preparation. Based across our offices, […]

At a time when cities across the country are facing an affordability crisis and communities are struggling to find healthy, culturally relevant food options for their families, a new solution is gaining momentum: public grocery stores.   With recent headlines celebrating Atlanta’s opening of Azalea Market, Chicago’s plans to develop a network of publicly-supported markets, and […]

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

Cities don’t have the luxury of treating climate change as a future problem. The decisions being made right now — about buildings, energy systems, coastlines, and infrastructure — will shape whether cities can keep their promises to residents on both resilience and affordability. This Earth Day, we’re reflecting on the work HR&A teams have been […]