Sulin Carling

Sulin Carling is a leader in place-based economic development and urban industrial policy. As a Principal at HR&A Advisors, she works with public, civic, and private sector partners to shape vibrant downtowns, commercial corridors, and industrial districts—always with a focus on helping small businesses and diverse communities thrive amid economic change.

Sulin brings deep expertise in industrial policy, small business resilience, and urban redevelopment. At the NYC Department of City Planning, she served as Senior Economic Development planner and the agency’s lead on industrial policy, directing the first comprehensive study of an industrial district, the North Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone, in decades. The plan has served as a model for citywide zoning changes that support industrial job growth.

At HR&A, Sulin has led a range of transformative initiatives—from advising on the redevelopment of the Hunts Point Produce Market in the Bronx and supporting small business recovery in Manhattan’s Chinatown, to developing industrial growth strategies in Boston and Attleboro, MA. She has also advanced equitable food systems planning, including a master plan for Seattle’s Pike Place Market and strategies to increase access to affordable groceries in underserved neighborhoods. Sulin has developed strategies to prevent small business displacement amidst neighborhood change in Atlanta, San Jose, and South San Francisco.

She is driven by the conviction that economic growth must be grounded in opportunity for businesses and workers of all backgrounds. She is proud to support Mechanism’s mission of fostering inclusive economic opportunities for local manufacturers and entrepreneurs.

Sulin holds a Master’s in Urban Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a B.A. from the University of Chicago. Outside of work, she enjoys playing piano, DIY home improvement projects, and crossword puzzles.