The HCED faculty leads cutting-edge research projects in urban and regional affairs, including action research that directly engages us with agents of change in the public, private, and nongovernmental sectors. Our research aims to understand and call attention to the dynamic forces shaping metropolitan economies, politics, and community life and to inform policymaking and planning practice. Our dual commitment to building theory and improving practice creates a rich and flexible environment, grounded in reflective practice, for students at all levels. Our multi-disciplinary research agenda is focused on a number of the forces that have transformed American society and the prospects for creating just and livable communities in recent decades, such as: The increase in economic inequality and the changing demands of work associated with technology and globalization; The growing racial and ethnic diversity in cities and suburbs, led by immigration; The loss of political and fiscal support for government-run anti-poverty programs and other important social policies; The exponential expansion of the nongovernmental sector and of cross-sector alliances as mechanisms for advancing the public interest; and The escalating imperative to connect economic competitiveness and social equity through the lens of environmental sustainability (“greening”). We seek to prepare progressive leaders—both in practice and the world of scholarship and teaching—who wish to understand these challenges so that society can address them more effectively. We have a long-standing commitment to bottom-up change, with roots in community economic development teaching, research, and service which often involves working closely with senior public officials, business leaders, philanthropies, and others to understand and tackle important problems. We incorporate our research into seminar courses, lecture series and other special events, client-driven practicum projects, influential scholarly publications, media outreach, and more. A number of our current research projects are summarized in the following categories. Please click below to learn more: Workforce Development and Income Distribution Neighborhood Development and Creating Local Opportunities Welfare Reform and Employment Effects on Single Mothers and Immigrants in Lowell, Massachusetts Fostering Self-Sufficiency through Neighborhood Networks Industrial and Regional Restructuring and Accessibility
	HCED is a program within DUSP 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 9-519, Cambridge, MA 02139 617.253.7736 | hced-program@mit.edu © Copyright 2003. All rights reserved. Site Credits.