Community and Economic Development
Planning for Stronger Places in a Changing Economy
Our economic and community development products give cities and regions the leading-edge tools they need to advance the performance of their local economies and compete in a modern economic ecosystem.
Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)
Workforce Development Strategies
Strategic Regional & Local Plans
Labor Market Analyses
Guidance for Green, Creative, or Logistics Economies
Advisory Services to Guide ARPA investment
Led by a PhD urban planner and advised by PhD economists across the firm, our team brings an interdisciplinary, problem-solving sensibility to community economic development issues.
- Each project begins as a series of research questions that are answered through a custom program that mixes cutting-edge quantitative analysis and sensitive community intelligence.
- Our team avoids common mistakes made in the field of community economic development, including generic analysis, recycled policy recommendations, and overly technical writing.
- With each project, we work to serve our clients’ research and strategy needs through novel technical analysis, new approaches to engagement, and/or the diagnosis of a new community challenge. Our innovation can also help advance the field of economic development more broadly.
BEACON ECONOMICS’ PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS IS:
CLIENT CENTERED
Each of our projects is customized to meet the needs of our client. Our team prides itself on providing fast, reliable service, and thoroughly-researched reports that are easy to understand and use in many forums. We are responsive and stay in close contact with our clients throughout every project to ensure all objectives are met.
ACTION ORIENTED
Beacon Economics’ products do not stop at providing data, quantitative findings, and detailed narrative descriptions. We connect what those findings mean for a client and their ultimate goals, and then deliver strategic, actionable recommendations.
UNCOMPROMIZING RESEARCH
As researchers who have clients seeking important answers for their communities, we take the objectivity and reliability of our analysis seriously. We guard our empirical research approach carefully, ensuring rigorous scientific results with an uncompromising focus on accuracy.
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65+ years of collective experience serving cities, counties, states, economic development agencies, and other public-facing clients nationwide.
Clients:
- San Joaquin County
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Northern Nevada Development Authority
- Los Angeles County
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San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
- Lyon County
- Next 10
- Tahoe Prosperity Center
The Expertsin the industry
Meet Our Industry Leaders: A Team of Dedicated Professionals with Unmatched Expertise: each team member brings a unique blend of knowledge, experience, and passion to their respective fields, ensuring that our clients receive the highest level of service and expertise. Discover the profiles of our industry specialists, and learn how their dedication and proficiency contribute to the outstanding results that Beacon Economics is renowned for.
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Christopher Thornberg
Founding PartnerChristopher Thornberg Ph.D. has been called many things throughout his career, but his favorite...
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HOW DOES BEACON ECONOMICS APPROACH REGIONAL ANALYSIS?
This study assesses changes in the City of Los Angeles’ economy over the past 10 years and considers how these changes shape the City’s economic outlook. Measures to contain the novel coronavirus have led to a significant downturn in the City, but the broader long-term trends underlying the City’s economy should remain in place. Industries that had strong growth leading into the current slowdown should continue to
grow once the crisis subsides.
About 434,000 people live in the 4,281 square miles, 12 cities, 17 Census-designated areas, and vast unincorporated areas that constitute Monterey County, according to the most recent Census data, from 2019. Known as the Salad Bowl of the World, the Salinas Valley has an exceptionally productive agricultural sector, contributing more than $10 billion directly and indirectly each year to the County economy. In addition, the coastline, including Big Sur, California 1, and the 17-Mile Drive on the Monterey Peninsula, has made the County famous for its scenery, drawing visitors from around the world.
Housing, land use and real estate advisory
Beacon Economics partners with policymakers, non-profits, private businesses, and developers to advance actionable solutions to community housing and real estate challenges across the western United States.
Regional and sub-regional analysis
Beacon Economics’ wide-ranging regional and sub-regional economic analysis allows economic developers, city and county governments, private businesses, and other local stakeholders to understand deeply specific trends occurring within their communities – and to take actionable steps that capitalize on local strengths and address challenges. Beacon’s regional analysis practice spans multiple products, which can draw from both public and proprietary data sets to align with client goals and deliver answers to pressing questions about future economic development, investment, and planning.
Economic and revenue forecasting
Beacon delivers accurate, rigorously constructed outlooks that inform private and public sector planning, policy, investment, and growth.
Economic, fiscal, and social impact analysis
Beacon specializes in successfully communicating the full economic, fiscal, and social impacts of events, institutions, projects, and investments.
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Information
For information about any of the Beacon Economics practice areas, please contact:
Business Development Manager Daniel Fowler at 424-666-2165 or [email protected]