Summary

About

History
The Center for Regional Analysis was formed in 1993 to undertake research on regional economic development policy focusing primarily on technologically intense regions. While some of its work initially focused on regional development policy in Europe and Asia as well as North America, much of its activity is concentrated on its immediate laboratory, the Washington DC region.

One of the Center’s first major initiatives was a conference on the future of the Northern Virginia Economy, held in May of 1994. The conference chronicled the recent development history of the Northern Virginia region including an analysis of its technology sector, which for the first time recognized that technology is the economic base of the region. The conference also unveiled the Center’s econometric input-output model of the regional economy, which was used to forecast different future economic scenarios. The initial work of the Center focused on examining the role of leadership in regional economic development. A theoretical approach was developed and tested in 1993 served as the theoretical rationale for the development of the Northern Virginia Business Roundtable. The Roundtable is a collection of some 100 CEOs from Northern Virginia businesses charged with developing intermediate and long range strategies for the region’s future. The Center has provided staff support for this initiative in areas such as industry targeting capital formation, higher education, elementary and secondary education, transportation and leadership development.

The Center, on the basis of earlier work on technology in the region for the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology, undertook the development of a technology database for the National Capital region under contract to the Greater Washington Board of Trade in the summer of 1994. This project, led by Dr. Roger Stough, was completed in the Spring of 1995 and for the first time provides an objectively defined estimate of the scale of the technology sector in the Washington DC region. The study demonstrated that technology accounts for a major proportion of the region’s economy and is focused on advanced technology services such as systems integration, information technology, telecommunication and biotechnology.

Dr. Stephen Fuller joined the Center in August of 1994 from George Washington University. Dr. Fuller is well known for his long standing analysis and knowledge of the National Capital region. In particular, he has developed a near term forecasting system for the Washington DC region using leading and coincident indices. He has also expanded the Center’s research on regional economic, housing and transportation issues.

Dr. Terry Clower is the current CRA Director after joining the Center and the GMU Faculty in August 2014. Prior to joining GMU, he was director for the Center for Economic Development and Research at the University of North Texas. Dr. Clower also spent 10 years employed in private industry in logistics and transportation management positions.

Twitter

Contact

Email: Dr. Terry Clower

Locations

The Center for Regional Analysis
Schar School of Policy and Government
George Mason University
3351 Fairfax Drive, MSN 3B1
Arlington, Virginia 22201
Phone: (703) 993-8419

Web Links

• Website
• Twitter

Team

Faculty

Terry Clower, Ph.D.
Northern Virginia Chair and University Professor
Director, Center for Regional Analysis, Schar School of Policy and Government
George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia
tclower@gmu.edu

Terry L. Clower is Northern Virginia Chair and professor of public policy in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. He is also director of Mason’s Center for Regional Analysis. The Center provides economic and public policy research services to sponsors in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. Prior to joining Mason, Clower was director for the Center for Economic Development and Research at the University of North Texas. He also spent 10 years employed in private industry in logistics and transportation management positions.

Clower has authored or co-authored more than 150 articles, book chapters, and research reports reflecting experience in economic and community development, economic and fiscal impact analysis, transportation, land use planning, housing, and economic forecasting. His scholarly articles have appeared in Economic Development Quarterly; Urban Studies; Economic Development Review; Regional Studies, Regional Science; the Australasian Journal of Regional Studies; Regional Studies Regional Science, Sustaining Regions; and Applied Research in Economic Development. He recently completed a term as regional (Americas) editor for the journal Regional Science Policy and Practice.

Clower received a BS in marine transportation from Texas A&M University in 1982, a MS in applied economics from the University of North Texas in 1992, and a PhD in information sciences from the University of North Texas in 1997, specializing in information policy issues and the use of information resources.

Areas of Research: Economic Development, Economic Policy, Quantitative Methods, Regional Development, Transportation Policy, Regional Economic Performance, Economic Forecasting, Economic and Fiscal Impacts

Keith Waters, Ph.D.
Assistant Director, Center for Regional Analysis and Stephen S. Fuller Insitute

Schar School of Policy and Government
George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia
kwaters2@gmu.edu

Dr. Waters is the Assistant Director of the Center for Regional Analysis and the Stephen S. Fuller Institute at George Mason University (GMU). His applied researcher in this role centers topics relevant to the Washington region such as the labor market, housing, and infrastructure issues. His academic work examines economies from a complexity perspective, most recently examining regional economies with network analysis. Dr. Waters earned his Ph.D. in Public Policy at GMU after receiving his master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and his bachelor’s from Western Michigan University. Before returning to GMU, he completed post-doctoral work at Indiana University and Arizona State University.

Areas of Research: Economic Development, Economic Policy, Quantitative Methods, Regional Development, Transportation Policy, Regional Economic Performance, Economic Forecasting, Economic and Fiscal Impacts

Laurie A. Schintler, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Director of Data and Technology Research Initiatives, Center for Regional Analysis, Schar School of Policy and Government
George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia
lschintl@gmu.edu

Dr. Laurie A. Schintler is an Associate Professor in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, where she also serves as Director of the Transportation, Policy, Operations, and Logistics (TPOL) master’s degree program. Dr. Schintler received her Ph.D. degree in Regional and Urban Planning in 1996 from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Her primary areas of expertise and research focus include big data, emerging technologies, transportation, critical infrastructure, and quantitative methods. In these areas she has numerous peer-reviewed publications, reports, and conference proceedings, and co-edited volumes, including Big Data for Regional Science (Routledge) and the Encyclopedia of Big Data (Springer-Nature, forthcoming 2017-19).  Dr. Schintler has been a Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on various grants and contracts (US Department of Transportation, US National Park Service, US Department of Homeland Security, National Institutes of Health, among others). She is Area Editor for Journal of Networks and Spatial Economics, Associate Editor for Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, and a Councilor-at-Large for the Regional Science Association International (RSAI) (2017-19).  Dr. Schintler is a founding member of the Regional Science Academy (tRSA), co-founder of the geospatial intelligence company FortiusOne (GeoIQ) (acquired by ESRI), and a holder of a US Patent.

Areas of Research: Gender; Quantitative Methods; Regional Development; Science and Technology Policy; Transportation Policy; Social Media; “Big Data”; Information Technology

Affiliates

The Center frequently collaborates on projects with Schar School faculty members and other key partners. These affiliate partners allow the Center to take advantage of additional sources of expertise.

Kelley S. Coyner, J.D.
Director of Mobility Innovation Policy, Center for Regional Analysis at the Schar School of Policy and Government.

Kelley Coyner, the lead on the Mobility Innovation Project for the Center for Regional Analysis, focuses what makes regions smart and sustainable. This Mobility Innovation Project is a public private collaboration to gather  and disseminate best practices and research  on smart mobility or A2CES —  Accessible, Automated, Connected Electric and Shared mobility systems. Recently cited as a Top 50 Sustainability Innovation Leader to watch, Ms. Coyner combines research and practice expertise to help communities, campuses, and companies to understand and harness disruptive technology.

Areas of Research

• Smart Cities/Digital Communities
• Innovation
• Accessible, Automated, Connected, Electric, Shared Mobility Systems
• Mobility as a Service
• Mobility Innovation

Experience Ms. Coyner’s served as an advisor, member, or counsel to more than 70 nonprofits locally, nationally, and internationally.  In addition, Ms. Coyner has conducted multi-country and multi-sector program evaluations and stakeholder analyses of conservation, advocacy, housing, community health and other nonprofits in the U.S. and South America. These nonprofits included Save the Children, CARE, Christian Children’s Fund, Oxfam, ProDem, ProMujer, BancoSol, the Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, IDEA, and ARCA. As an advisor to USAID, Ms. Coyner established “Friends of Nonprofit” for a network of Bolivian, U.S., and European nonprofits and secured 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.

Ms. Coyner has authored numerous professional and legal articles and papers on the national security and export control law; federal and state lobbying, ethics, and freedom of information acts, transportation finance, policy, programs and law, and homeland security and emergency management. She has led, facilitated, and written dozens of strategic plans. In addition, Ms. Coyner has published numerous articles, blog posts, and a travel book on South American culture, natural history, and adventure travel as well other nonfiction writing.

Ms. Coyner has testified before dozens of Congressional and state legislative committees, appeared on national and local television and radio and electronic media; lectured at more than 30 colleges and universities; and participated in numerous panel discussions. Recent presentations include connection between national economic trends and the regional economic outlook, what transit means to business and to regional economic competitiveness, increasing the value of congestion pricing across modes, innovation transit finance and funding, and use of performance metrics for transportation project selection.

A native Texan, Ms. Coyner holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a law degree from University of Virginia. She clerked for the Hon. George P. Kazen, Federal District Judge, Southern District of Texas.

Katrin B. Anacker
Associate Professor of Public Policy, Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University

Areas of Research: Race and Ethnicity, Urban Policy, Housing

Agnès P. Artemel
Agnès Artemel is president of Artemel & Associates, Inc.

Areas of Research: Market Analysis, Feasibility Studies, Urban Revitalization, Transit-Oriented Development

John S. Earle, Ph.D.
Professor of Public Policy, Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University

Research Assistants

Research

Reports

Ongoing Projects

Source: Website

Economic Impacts of Local and Regional Park Systems

National Recreation and Park Association

June, 2017-May, 2018

CRA is currently conducting a national economic impact analysis of local and regional parks for the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). We are also working with park administrators to identify best practices for engaging the economic development practitioners in their communities

Senior Housing in Montgomery County MD

Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission

Working with Lisa Sturtevant & Associates, CRA is working on a study of senior housing in Montgomery County, MD. Our team is eager to help Montgomery County be as prepared as possible to meet the housing needs of its growing older adult population. The study will integrate quantitative assessments of current and future housing demand and supply in the County with a rigorous evaluation of local and national best practices and an appraisal of local economic and political factors that can support—or impede—the development of sufficient housing to meet growing needs.

Socio-Economic Impacts of Conserved Land on Virginia’s Eastern Shore

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ)

July, 2017

The primary objective of this report is to provide decision makers at the State of Virginia, Accomack County, and Northampton County with a high-level analysis of the fiscal and economic impacts of conserved land on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.  The findings shown in this report are based on existing land-use and fiscal conditions in each county as of fiscal year end 2016.  The results of this analysis provide a fiscal baseline against which any future development policy, strategy, plan, or project approval can be tested.  Consequently, the fiscal baseline that is reported herein provides local government officials and others involved in the land conservation and economic development process in both Accomack and Northampton counties the starting point for asking and deriving answers to critical questions about the future of land acquisition and conservation in each county.

Loudoun County Monthly Housing Reports

Dulles Area Association of Realtors

Ongoing Since January, 2017

RE-View Magazine – Market Metrics
Northern Virginia Association of Realtors

Ongoing bimonthly articles published in the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors’ RE-View magazine.

Sept-Oct 2017

July-August 2017

May-June 2017

Mar-April 2017

Regional Data

he Center for Regional Analysis produces more than 60 charts and graphs summarizing trends in the national and regional economies and housing markets.  Data elements include gross domestic product, jobs, unemployment, consumer confidence, oil prices, coincident and leading indices, interest rates, sales of existing and new homes, home prices, and regional economic forecasts, among other items.  There is information for the overall regional economy, as well as select economic and housing data for Northern Virginia, Suburban Maryland and the District.  This set of charts is updated when new data are released.

DOWNLOAD THE CURRENT SET OF REGIONAL INDICATORS.

Data are updated generally on the following schedule:

• U.S. employment situation –  1st Friday of the month
• U.S. housing data – 3rd week of the month
• Regional employment data – 3rd week of the month
• Regional unemployment rates – 4th week of the month
• Regional housing data – 2nd week of the mont