Spotlight on Principal Economist Jennifer Carvajal
We recently sat down with Principal Economist Jennifer Carvajal and asked her about the projects she is currently working on, what she is looking forward to most about her new role at Cambridge Econometrics and her career highlights to date.
Tell us about your role at Cambridge Econometrics.
My main focuses are on our local and regional economic development work, as well as our transportation and infrastructure projects. I work with local and state governments to develop long-term comprehensive plans, as well as specialized studies focusing on a particular sector or development project.
My work on transportation tends to focus on helping areas understand the economic opportunities that can arise from Transit-Oriented Development projects and how local communities maximize the benefit from these investments. I have also worked on assessing the socio-economic impact of major infrastructure investments, thinking about both economic and wider benefits.
What are your areas of expertise?
I have worked as an economic consultant as well as leading a team in the UK Government focused on unlocking large-scale mixed-use developments linked to major transportation centers. My experience falls into three categories:
1. Local Economic Development Strategies – working with local areas to develop a long-term, comprehensive plan that considers all aspects of their local economy, from jobs and skills to the business base, housing, and development opportunities.
2. Socio-economic impact assessments – I have experience in developing project specific assessments to understand the economic and wider societal impact of any type of activity, investment, or physical development.
3. Pre-development support on major urban renewal, mixed-use developments – I have worked to support delivery partners, funders and landowners in the pre-development stages of major developments.
What has been a career highlight for you?
A career highlight was during my time at Deloitte when I worked with the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) to develop the case for investment in the East Bank.
The East Bank is a part of London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park that was developed out through a collaboration between cultural institutions and world leading universities. Our work focused on analyzing the societal benefit of investment in arts, culture, and education. We were able to support the LLDC in successfully securing investment to unlock the project, through demonstrating that the long-term economic benefits to society outweighed the financial return of alternative investments. The East Bank is near completion and starting to open to the public – it is incredible to have been involved in this project when it was still just a concept.
Tell us about a project you are currently working on.
I am currently supporting MassDevelopment on the Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) data project. We are working with the TDI team to develop and implement data tools and metrics to track progress and measure impact of local investments being made across 13 Gateway Cities in Massachusetts.
What are you looking forward to most about your new role?
I’m really looking forward to working with states, counties and municipal governments across the U.S. Each town and state in the U.S. has its own unique strengths and challenges and it is a fantastic opportunity to learn from other areas and also develop customized solutions for every client we work with.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I have two girls who are 4 and 6. We’re a very active family – we love to be out and about at the swimming pool, playing tennis, riding bikes or exploring a new park. On the odd day I have free time, I love to cook and try new recipes that my children inevitably refuse to eat!
Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn.