UHERO’s Economic Development research examines why economic outcomes differ between places and what that means for growth and productivity in Hawaiʻi. Drawing on several fields of economics and economic geography, this work studies how local factors and spatial mechanisms shape the fortunes of places, and applies these insights to diagnose the causes of Hawaiʻi’s persistent slow growth and high cost of living. This research identifies realistic strategies for diversification and informs locally tailored policy to support stronger, more resilient growth.
Researchers at UHERO are involved in analyzing the education landscape across the state of Hawaii, from postsecondary education to higher education and beyond. Their work highlights the crucial role that education plays on labor market outcomes and sheds light on how education can increase social mobility for those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. By conducting studies on Hawaii’s education system, UHERO’s education research serves as a vital resource for shaping policies and initiatives aimed at enhancing educational opportunities statewide.
UHERO fellows conduct research to evaluate impacts of past and prospective energy-related policies, and engage with policymakers and stakeholders on contemporary and emerging energy issues, such as natural hazard resilience and associated clean air goals, energy efficiency, electric vehicles, and carbon taxes.
UHERO Environment partners with government, non-profit, business, and local organizations to address Hawaiʻi’s key environmental policy challenges. To do so we employ interdisciplinary methods and tools to study the interconnection between human and natural systems with the purpose of contributing to more effective decision making. We specifically work in the linked areas of water, energy, food systems, watersheds, and coastlines, where an overarching theme is how to mitigate and adapt to land use and natural hazard resilience and their effects on these systems.
UHERO Forecasts provide Hawaii with analysis of economic trends both in the State and in the Asia-Pacific region.
Researchers at UHERO are actively engaged in studying health policy in Hawaii and other regions. Their work focuses on vital topics such as health care access, health disparities, disease prevention, and health care delivery. Collaborating with a wide array of stakeholders, including philanthropic foundations, government agencies, insurance providers, and public groups, UHERO’s researchers use data-driven approaches to inform policymakers, health care practitioners, and the general public. Their work is crucial in addressing health care challenges and providing evidence-based solutions to improve the well-being of communities throughout Hawaii.
The UHERO Housing Policy Group provides rigorous analyses to inform debates regarding housing in Hawaiʻi, with a focus on the high housing cost burdens experienced by the State’s residents. This problem is multiscalar in its origins and thus requires a bundle of analyses ranging from longitudinal portraits of the State’s housing market, to estimates of the impact of housing costs on local populations, to objective evaluations of proposed policy solutions.
