Economic Development Research Group

Economic Development Research Group
Name	Economic Development Research Group
Type	Research institute
Founded	1990s
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts
Fields	Economic development, public policy, transportation, energy, health

Contents

Economic Development Research Group is an independent research organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, focused on applied analysis of regional development, transportation, energy, health, and public finance. The Group conducts quantitative modeling, program evaluation, and policy analysis for clients including federal agencies, state governments, municipal authorities, foundations, and international organizations. Its work has informed decisions by agencies such as the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, United States Environmental Protection Agency, and multilateral bodies like the World Bank and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

History

Founded in the 1990s, the Group emerged during a period shaped by policy shifts after the Interstate Highway System expansions, the aftermath of the Savings and Loan crisis, and debates following the North American Free Trade Agreement. Early projects included regional economic impact analysis for state departments of transportation and program evaluations connected to the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. Over subsequent decades the Group expanded its portfolio to include projects aligned with initiatives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Energy, and research collaborations with universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and University of California, Berkeley.

The organization states objectives to provide rigorous applied research, offer decision support to agencies like the Federal Transit Administration and Environmental Protection Agency, and advance tools used by metropolitan planning organizations such as the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and regional councils of governments. Its mission emphasizes evidence-based evaluation for programs tied to legislation like the Clean Air Act and policy frameworks advanced by bodies such as the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute.

Research spans transportation planning and analysis linked to Federal Highway Administration guidance, energy and climate policy research that references findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, public health evaluations in the spirit of studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and regional economic modeling comparable to work by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Other domains include benefit-cost analysis used by the Office of Management and Budget, housing and community development analyses relevant to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development programs, and workforce studies reflecting themes in reports by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and National Academy of Sciences.

The Group has produced technical reports and peer-reviewed articles assessing the impacts of transit investments similar to research featured in the Journal of Transport Geography and analyses of congestion pricing paralleling studies by the Transportation Research Board. Publications include cost-effectiveness studies for energy efficiency programs resonant with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reports, evaluations of place-based initiatives akin to projects by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and white papers used by state agencies during implementation of programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Group’s models and toolkits have been cited in planning documents by agencies such as the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the California Department of Transportation, and municipal plans for cities including Boston, New York City, and San Francisco.

The organization is governed by a board of directors and led by a senior management team with backgrounds in institutions such as Harvard Kennedy School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, and University of Michigan. Staff expertise includes economists trained at the London School of Economics, planners with experience in agencies like the Federal Transit Administration, and public health analysts with ties to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Collaborations often involve partnerships with academic centers such as the Urban Institute, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and research centers at Columbia University.

Funding streams include government contracts from agencies like the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, grants from philanthropic organizations such as the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, and project partnerships with metropolitan planning organizations, state departments of transportation, and international lenders including the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Research collaborations have linked the Group with universities including University of California, Los Angeles, University of Chicago, and Yale University and with nonprofit policy organizations such as the Brookings Institution and the RAND Corporation.

Findings have influenced policy decisions at federal and state levels, informed guidance from agencies like the Federal Transit Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, and been used in regulatory filing discussions with bodies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission on infrastructure financing. The Group’s work has been recognized in practitioner forums hosted by the Transportation Research Board, cited in reports by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and used as evidence in legislative hearings before committees of the United States Congress.