Sulin Carling is a Principal at HR&A Advisors, an economic development and public policy consulting firm. Sulin's practice focuses on place-based economic development. She advises public and private sector clients across the country on adapting to economic shifts in the interest of equitable growth – including supporting commercial corridors and small businesses in a shifting retail landscape, ensuring the continued vitality of downtowns, and planning for the future of urban industrial areas.
Prior to rejoining HR&A in 2020, Sulin served as Senior Economic Development Planner at the New York City Department of City Planning where she led the agency's efforts to update industrial land use policy for 21st century industry and to track evolving retail trends on commercial corridors across the city.
Sulin is a member of the ULI New York Metro Chapter's Mixed-Use Council and a Board Member of the Urban Manufacturing Alliance. She hold a Masters in Urban Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor's from the University of Chicago.
Speaking at
Mon May 12
4:00 PM — 5:00 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
Building Business, Building Communities: The Value of Affordable Commercial Space
Category
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
As cities grow and prosper, existing, diverse communities often face displacement pressures. While much attention has been paid to residential displacement and the creation of affordable housing, there are fewer examples of anti-displacement and retention strategies for small businesses and the creation of affordable commercial space. Panelists from public, private, and civic organizations from across the country will speak about efforts to create affordable commercial space on retail corridors, in private development projects, and via community-owned real estate—complemented by other important types of support for small businesses, with an emphasis on supporting businesses of color and women-owned businesses. These strategies are important not only for advancing equitable economic development, but for ensuring unique and authentic retail environments that create both social and economic value. The panel will include an overview of national trends and case studies from different cities. This includes the Atlanta Beltline's efforts to support commercial affordability in Atlanta, the Center for Community Wealth Building's efforts to leverage community-owned real estate in Denver, and a private developer's efforts to create affordable commercial space within a new real estate development. The discussion will highlight the roles that the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors can play in creating affordable commercial space.