The thinking behind the work
Essays from our Present Value blog, news from the firm, and our analysts in the press.
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…
ESI Recognized as a Five-time Civic 50 Honoree by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia
Econsult Solutions, Inc. has been named a 2025 honoree of the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater…
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…
ESI’s 2025 Summer Reads and Listens
As the warm summer months roll in, so does the chance to slow down. It's the perfect time to recharge, reflect, and…
The Art of Economic Growth: Philadelphia’s Creative Economy as a Driver for Jobs, Tourism, and Neighborhood Revitalization
In Philadelphia, arts and culture is not merely a thriving sector that has generated hundreds of millions of dollars, but it is…
Expert Views: Real Estate
Takeaways from ULI’s 2025 Housing Opportunity Conference This past February, I had the opportunity to attend the Urban Land Institute’s Housing Opportunity…
Service vs. Payment: Rethinking the Relationship Between Educational Institutions and Cities Through PILOTs
The Growing PILOT Conversation Across major American cities, a contentious debate is unfolding between municipal governments and tax-exempt educational institutions. Boston, Philadelphia,…
Town Center Redevelopment as a Local Growth Strategy
As covered in past Present Value posts on retail, data, and disruption and emerging retail trends, the American retail landscape has experienced…
Moving Cities: Boston
In Boston, it’s a common commute: a passenger of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) can take a trip through the oldest…
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