Policy Analysis as Problem Solving: A Flexible and Evidence-Based Framework

Rachel Meltzer is the Plimpton Associate Professor of Planning and Urban Economics at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Her research concentrates on urban economies, economic development, housing, land use, and local public finance. Dr. Meltzer’s work has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, Social Science Research Council, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, among others, and her research and writing appear in the top journals spanning policy, economics, and urban studies.

Alex Schwartz is Professor of Urban Policy at the New School. His research focuses on housing and community development, including public housing and other affordable housing programs, and community development corporations. Dr. Schwartz is the author of Housing Policy in the United States, now in its fourth edition (Routledge 2021), and his research and writing appear in journals such as the Journal of Urban Affairs, the Journal of the American Planning Association, Housing Policy Debate, and Cityscape, among others.