4ward Planning, Inc., a land-use economics consultancy, was established to assist local governments and developers achieve sustainable development outcomes through responsible, future-based planning. Their approach, founded in socioeconomic analysis, seeks the optimum development or redevelopment program for a community, based on the best case outcomes within the social, environmental, fiscal and economic systems of a community and its surrounding area (the “4” in 4ward Planning.) While incorporating conventional economic and market analysis techniques within their assignments, 4ward goes a step further to examine the variables often overlooked by traditional approaches to market evaluation. Their added value to clients is in identifying critical factors and issues (e.g., ratio of median income to median home prices and rental rates; licensed childcare facilities per 1,000 workers, etc.) that, if left unaddressed or minimized, could cause longer term threats to the vibrancy of local and regional markets.