Urban across the Country

Urban’s researchers partner with state and local leaders to provide the evidence, tools, and support they need to improve lives and strengthen communities. This work includes strategic advising to translate research into action, program evaluations to measure effectiveness, and research and data analysis to inform decisionmaking. Our experts develop custom data tools and modeling to support equitable resource allocation and lead community-engaged research and convenings to ensure policies reflect local priorities.

Use this page to explore Urban’s work. Search by region to see examples of our research, and filter by evidence and products to narrow results by topic or type of work.

Dive deeper into your state and community with our data tools. View highlighted tools below, select “Data tools” under “Filter by Product Types,” or head directly to our data tools page.

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State and community data tools
Explore our work by state
Research Report Aligning Crisis Response with Community Needs
In this report, we provide new evidence about Denver’s programs, including their reach, opportunities to scale services, cost implications, and the first quantification of individual-level criminal justice outcomes for people in the year after they interact with the programs.
A group of young children play on the swings and three seesaws in a sunny playground.
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the child tax credit maximum has been increased from $2,000 to $2,200, meaning some families may receive a bigger refund this tax season. However, the $2,500 earnings minimum and $1,700 refund cap means many low-income families won’t receive the full credit.
Brief What Comes Next for Student Loan Policy?
Over the past six years, the federal student loan program has been substantially altered by pandemic and policy changes, disrupting payments and creating confusion for borrowers.
An aerial view of a large building under constriction in front of a gravel construciton site
Contrary to initial expectations, most Opportunity Zone investments are in housing. Governors will be selecting new Opportunity Zones in 2026, and local leaders need to work now to best position their cities to maximize the likelihood of attracting Opportunity Zone investment that aligns with their
Brief Responsible AI Adaptation in Corrections
This brief explains how corrections leaders can capture AI’s benefits without sacrificing human dignity, focusing on concrete use cases, common failure points, and practical steps for oversight.
Photo of an older Black woman on a video call with a health care provider.
Telehealth services expand access to care, especially among people with serious or chronic health conditions and those living in rural or underserved areas. Despite these benefits, Congress has yet to make Medicare telehealth services permanent.