West

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.

More than 300,000 households across East and South Los Angeles now have a path to affordable, high-speed internet. Los Angeles County and WeLink Communications announced that construction on the County’s first Community Broadband Networks is nearing completion, bringing internet service to residents and small businesses in East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, Watts, Willowbrook, and dozens […]

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.

California has never been short on ambition. But ambition without results leaves communities behind, and right now, communities across the state are navigating compounding challenges — aging infrastructure, a housing crisis, climate risk, a challenging job market, and an economy in flux.  What does it actually take to get hard things done in California? On June 18, HR&A Advisors hosted an […]

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: […]

We’re proud to share that HR&A Managing Partner Kate Collignon has been appointed to SPUR’s San Francisco City Advisory Board — joining 4 other new members committed to making the Bay Area a place where everyone can thrive. Kate has spent her career helping cities navigate some of their hardest questions: how to grow equitably, how to build housing […]

The Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency approved its first $100 million in affordable housing construction funding — and we’re proud to have supported the effort from the beginning. Over the past year, HR&A has been working alongside LACAHSA’s leadership to develop the Agency’s Expenditure Plan and Agency Strategy — designing the financing frameworks, […]

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 […]