The thinking behind the work
Essays from our Present Value blog, news from the firm, and our analysts in the press.
Beyond Jurisdiction Lines: How City-County Partnerships Are Reshaping Planning
Across the country, cities and counties are rethinking how they work together to address growth, infrastructure, and economic development. Challenges such as…
Housing Affordability as an Economic Development Catalyst
The Connection Between Housing Affordability and Economic Development Housing affordability has become an increasingly prominent concern for local and state policymakers in…
Moving Cities: Los Angeles
How do you make transit competitive with car travel in a city where auto-centric planning has dominated for decades? This is a…
Previewing the Impact of 2026 Sporting Events in Philadelphia
Philadelphia is no stranger to big sporting events; this city has seen it all. Over the next year it will be preparing…
What the U.S. Can Learn from Apprenticeship Degrees Abroad
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of joining colleagues from across the world in Oxford, England, for the annual convening of…
The Exit Interview: Thoughts from our 2025 Summer Interns
At ESI, we understand the value of internships in shaping future careers. That's why we offer hands-on, real-world experiences that go beyond…
From Scene to Strategy: Building Philly’s Nighttime Economy
City economies don’t shut down after dark. Much like the sun, rising in one place as it sets in another, a city’s…
From the Vault: Reimagining Place – Redevelopment That Works for Communities
Cities today are not just redeveloping real estate, they're reimagining what place means. Whether it's transforming vacant office space into housing, revitalizing…
Data Dashboards as Public Information
Typically, analytical work takes a familiar form such as a comprehensive report, a presentation, or even formal testimony. While these formats allow…
New Hampshire’s Housing Challenge: A Data-Driven Approach
Across the country, communities are contending with a deepening housing affordability crisis. Increasing housing prices, low housing stock, and shifting demographic patterns…
Office-to-Residential Conversions: What Works? A Comparative Analysis of Incentive Programs in Four North American Cities
The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered the dynamics of urban commercial real estate, leaving many North American downtowns grappling with high office vacancy…
New Jersey’s NOL Program: A Lifeline for Emerging Tech and Life Sciences Companies
New Jersey’s Business Tax Credit Certificate Transfer Program—commonly known as the Net Operating Loss (NOL) Program—is a unique tax incentive designed…
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