ESI Blog: Present Value
Present Value was created as a platform for sharing ideas, discussing our interests and improving connections with our community. Each week, we invite guest contributors from the ranks of our senior advisors, industry experts, and thought leaders.
Despite the tumultuous past two years, local governments in the US bought more renewable energy in 2020 than ever before. There was a 23 percent increase from 2019 as nearly 100 cities and counties completed 143 deals and added more than 3,600 megawatts of renewable energy capacity. On a larger scale, according to CDP, over […]
Over the past 18 months, museums and other cultural organizations have been forced to adapt and adjust their strategies in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and social justice turmoil. Forced closure, visitor restrictions and economic dislocation have impacted museum financial positions, and is forcing new creative approaches to organizational financial sustainability. One of the approaches […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fragile economic situation faced by millions of American households in an era of growing income inequality. At the same time, the government response to the pandemic has demonstrated the ability of policy to impact income security, with aggressive fiscal policy tools leading to a material decrease in the poverty […]
Cities are having a bit of a renaissance. If you need proof, look no further than the most recent decennial Census numbers. The 10 most populous incorporated places grew by an average of just about 7% over the last 10 years. While most cities welcome population growth, especially older cities that are coming out of […]
Higher education is a critical contributor to the US economy and culture, attracting billions of international talents every year. The market size of higher education in the US is roughly $580 billion and 2.6% of US GDP. International students are 4% of the total student population, yet they bring in $41 billion to the economy, […]
One thing is clear: More than ever, people and firms are re-evaluating where they live and work. The choices they make will have a major impact on the future shape of our communities. The policies we choose will shape the location decisions that are made. Even before the pandemic, digital technologies supporting online retail, virtual […]
As we navigate the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, cities are especially economically challenged. Tax revenues can barely keep up with the need to improve infrastructure, maintain public safety, encourage business, educate the young, care for aging residents, and provide basic and essential services to residents. Arts and culture are way down the list of […]
It’s almost that time of the year again! ESI’s summer interns are ready to head back to school or graduate and look for full-time employment. Before starting on their next milestone, we asked them to reflect on their time with us by interviewing them about their experience. ESI thanks you for your hard work and […]
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for people who follow the demographics and economics of cities. Last week, the US Census Bureau released the local area population counts from the 2020 decennial census, and a number of interesting facts jumped out from the data. We grew slowly, as the US population grew at its […]
The late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York is purported to have said that the way to build a great city is simple: “Create a great university and wait 200 years.” There is no doubt a profound truth in this statement. All great cities contain at least one great university. And all great universities […]