Carnegie Mellon University

Principal, Zimmerman/Volk Associates, Inc., Clinton, NJ

Bio

Laurie Volk is principal in charge of Zimmerman/Volk Associates’ market studies and is the firm’s primary analyst of demographic, market, and lifestyle trends. Her development and direction of research methodology for the company, as well as her ground-breaking application of geo-demo­graphics to real estate market dynamics, have been instrumental in bringing Zimmerman/Volk Associates into national prominence.

Ms. Volk’s recent e.orts have focused on the development of analytical tools to determine the market potential for two critical initiatives: the mixed-income, mixed-tenure repopulation and sta­bilization of fragile inner-city neighborhoods, and new mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented sustainable neighborhood developments. Ms. Volk is on the Board of Directors of the Seaside Institute and the National Charrette Institute, and formerly held the position of co-chair of the Development and Implementation task force of the Congress for the New Urbanism. She received the 2002-2003 Knight Fellowship in Community Building.

Ms. Volk established international credentials for her observations of consumer and economic trends as a writer and researcher for The Times of London and as a member of the prestigious Insight Team of The Sunday Times. In addition, she was chief of research for over a dozen Sunday Times books, covering topics ranging from finance to commercial aviation.