Our Research

G&ER conducts applied research across governance, institutions, public systems, organizational performance, and public policy. We examine how decisions made by governments, organizations, and institutions shape opportunity, accountability, public services, economic well-being, and everyday life across communities.

Our work translates complex governance and policy questions into accessible, evidence-informed analysis that helps institutions, organizations, researchers, and communities better understand how public decisions shape everyday life.

Research Across Places | Examining how governance and public policy shape everyday life across cities and communities.

✓ Published

Philadelphia | Policy to Pocket

Can a Full-Time Worker Afford to Access Opportunity in Philadelphia?

Washington DC

COMING SOON

Washington, DC | Policy to Pocket

Exploring governance, opportunity, and access in the nation's capital.

CURRENT RESEARCH

New York City | Policy to Pocket

The Price of Proximity: How Housing, Transit, and Time Are Reshaping Everyday Survival in New York City.

COMING SOON

Chicago | Policy to Pocket

Understanding how policy and public investment shape neighborhoods, mobility, and opportunity in Chicago.

CURRENT RESEARCH

Puerto Rico | Policy to Pocket

The Invisible Cost of “Affordability: How San Juan’s Housing Crisis, Infrastructure Instability, and Mobility Pressures Are Reshaping Access to Opportunity Across Puerto Rico.

CURRENT RESEARCH

Pennsylvania Transit Study | Beyond the Manifesto

When Political Commitments Meet Public Transit Reality! Examining how funding decisions, governance, implementation capacity, and institutional constraints shape public transportation and everyday mobility across Philadelphia.

Expanding Our Research Footprint

G&ER is actively expanding to more cities and regions. Have a location or issue you would like us to explore?

Our Research Series

Our flagship research series examine governance, public policy, and institutional performance through distinct but complementary lenses.

Policy to Pocket | How public decisions shape everyday life.


Research examining how housing, transportation, public investment, wages, and governance decisions shape affordability, access to opportunity, mobility, and quality of life across cities and communities.

Focus Areas

  • Housing & Affordability

  • Transportation & Mobility

  • Economic Opportunity

  • Public Services

  • Quality of Life

Research Pipeline

Philadelphia • New York City • Puerto Rico • Washington, DC • Chicago

Beyond the Manifesto | Where political promises meet governing reality.

Research examining what happens after elections by evaluating whether political commitments become institutional reality through implementation, governance, administrative capacity, accountability, and public-sector performance.

Focus Areas

  • Governance Transitions

  • Policy Implementation

  • Political Commitments

  • Institutional Performance

  • Public Accountability

Current Research

SEPTA Implementation Study • Pennsylvania

The Public Ledger | Following how institutions govern.

Research examining how public institutions allocate resources, implement decisions, manage public funds, and deliver services through evidence-based analysis of accountability, transparency, and institutional performance.

Focus Areas

  • Public Spending & Budgets

  • Infrastructure & Transit

  • Procurement & Contracts

  • Education & Public Services

  • Institutional Accountability

Current Themes

Budgets • Transit Funding • Procurement • Service Delivery