News & Insights

The thinking behind the work

Essays from our Present Value blog, news from the firm, and our analysts in the press.

Present Value·Economic Development and Sector Strategy

Addressing Systemic Inequalities to Foster Equitable Growth

The racial wealth gap persists in our representative eleven counties and three states. This disparity is a product of discrimination and deliberate…

Present Value·Anchor Institution Impact

Education is Still the Key to Developing an Equitable Growth Strategy

The COVID pandemic and the social justice movement, two major disruptors of 2020, were intertwined. The inequities that existed before 2020 were…

Present Value·Economic Development and Sector Strategy

Prioritizing STEM-based Competitiveness for Equitable Growth

An equitable growth strategy, particularly in high density, multi-ethnic communities, requires three commitments: Terraform while doing no harm; adopt culturally responsive economic strategies,…

Present Value·Economic Development and Sector Strategy

Expert Views: Developing an Equitable Growth Strategy for Cities

Throughout the pandemic, cities have lived on the razor’s edge. As we enter a new phase of living with COVID, the moment…

Present Value·Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

A Follow-up Love Letter to Cities

We are two years and counting into a pandemic that has upended the entire world, from public health systems and global supply…

Present Value·Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Using Public Libraries as a Framework for Smart Cities

For us to design cities of the future, it is important for us not to forget the institutions that helped us get…

Present Value·Economic Development and Sector Strategy

Retail, Data & Disruption

Becoming Trader Joe, by the firm’s founder Joe Coulombe, is one of the better books I have read in recent years. It…

Present Value·Economic Development and Sector Strategy

Sustainability is the Greatest Challenge of All Time And Here is Why

In 2022, I will be celebrating my 25th year as a sustainability leader, speaker, advocate, educator, author, and designer. Despite all the…

Present Value·Infrastructure Economics

The Future of Cities Requires Refining What it Means to be a Smart City

Over the past five years, Econsult Solutions, through its former joint venture, completed cutting edge research on smart cities around the world,…

Present Value·Economic Development and Sector Strategy

The Future of Cities is Accessible Quality of Place

Technological disruption, public health scares, and pushback against systemic disparities have all elevated the importance of and demand for quality places in…

Present Value·Economic Development and Sector Strategy

The Future of Cities is Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Cities have always competed as places of human expression, cultural exchange, and commerce. An important way that future cities will compete is…

Present Value

2022 Strategic Agenda

At ESI, we pride ourselves in being the go-to consulting firm for a wide range of industries, clients, and situations where the…

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