(Director of Strategy Planning) - Economic Development Planning

Steven R. Landau is Director of Strategy Planning at Economic Development Research Group.

Mr. Landau has 20 years of experience in economic development research, planning and practice. Prior to joining EDR Group, he was the Director of Economic Research and Analysis for the U.Mass Donahue Institute, and before that he was the economic development program manager at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

Mr. Landau has served on numerous boards and advisory committees related to economic development, including the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee, the Boston Brownfields Environmental Remediation Initiative, the Center for Economic Development, the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership and the Massachusetts Economic Development Council, and has been a featured speaker at professional conferences and workshops. He holds a Masters in City Planning degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a BA in United States History from the University of Massachusetts.

His experience includes the following:

• Local Development - assessment of opportunities for development of economically depressed communities, and impacts of proposed projects; includes impacts of infrastructure investments in Indiana and Michigan communities, development of tourism and redevelopment of state buildings for employment training in Massachusetts communities
• Transportation and Economic Development - evaluation of the economic impact of airports in Vermont, Virginia and Massachusetts, as well as rail and road facilities in Montana.
• Digital Divide - Directed case studies to examine the development and exploitation of information technology infrastructure and economic development in distressed rural and urban locations.
• Comprehensive Economic Development Planning - Initiated economic development district program, principal author of five Overall Economic Development Programs, organized community-based economic development committee, and led committees in assessing economic development projects and planning initiatives.
• Workforce Development - Organized and led a partnership of private industry councils, job training service providers and transportation professionals to successfully develop and implement a program to improve transportation services for individuals entering the workforce from welfare.
• Industry Studies - Directed a study to determine strategies to support the plastics industry in the City of Leominster; also directed an analysis of the seafood industry and developed strategies to strengthen seafood processing and distribution industries in Massachusetts.
• Economic Research Management - Project manager for Massachusetts Benchmarks, a quarterly journal on the state economy and its industries, including Textile/ Apparel, Information Technology, Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, Agriculture, Maritime Industries and Environmental Services.